Dear Editor,

In response to your article “Campus Dining, HSGV Partner for Meatless Mondays” (27 Mar. 2011), I would like to compliment Molly Waite for discussing the exciting campaign that is introducing thousands of students to vegetarian cuisine. Demand for meatless options on college campuses is growing every day, and students across the country are adopting Meatless Mondays as a result. A recent study by ARAMARK, a leading food-service provider, concluded that one in four college students are actively seeking out vegan options when they sit down to eat.

The United Nations scientists have determined that raising chickens, pigs, and other animals for slaughter generates about 40 percent more greenhouse gasses than all the cars, SUVs, trucks, and planes in the world combined. Most students are also horrified to discover that chickens have their beaks cut off when they’re only days old, male piglets are castrated, and cows are branded and de-horned—all without any painkillers. These terrified animals are often skinned and dismembered while still conscious as well. If these kinds of abuses were inflicted upon cats or dogs, it would result in felony cruelty-to-animals charges. Yet these practices are standard in an industry that refuses to make even the most basic improvements in the way animals are treated.

Luckily, not only is going vegetarian the single greatest action you can take for animals and the environment, it’s also the best choice that you can make for your health. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the American Dietetic Association have endorsed vegetarian diets. In addition, with the launch of the school’s Meatless Monday program, going vegan at Grand Valley State has never been easier! For more information, visit peta2.com to request a free vegetarian/vegan starter kit.

Sincerely,

Amelia Jensen

College Campaigns Assistant

peta2.com