USC Students request more veg options

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This article is from today's Daily Trojan, the student newspaper at the

University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Students at

Stanford University are currently in the same struggle. Please go to

the following URL and add your comment.

 

-- Mike

 

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[http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/students-want-more-options-for-vegetari

ans-1.1725347]

 

Students want more options for vegetarians

Students collected more than 1,000 signatures in a petition for more

vegetarian dining choices.

Jessica Poitevien

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

 

 

Student representatives from the SC for Healthy, Organic, Nutritious,

Vegetarian Options (HONVO) campaign delivered a petition to Trojan

Hospitality April 15 asking for more vegetarian and vegan-friendly food

choices on campus, especially in the dining halls.

 

The petition began in March after Justin Feldman, a senior majoring in

communication, said he realized that something needed to be done about

how difficult it is to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet on campus.

 

" There's really not enough to sustain a well-rounded vegetarian or vegan

diet on campus, " said Feldman.

 

After contacting the young adults division of the People for the Ethical

Treatment of Animals organization, Feldman received advice on how to

make the HONVO campaign more effective, and the petition began.

 

In a two-day period of protesting outside The Lot, HONVO representatives

collected more than 1,000 signatures for the petition in an effort to

illustrate the high demand for more vegetarian options.

 

" Hospitality needs to do more, " said Feldman. " They're here to provide a

service to students, but they've really been ignoring a large minority

group. "

 

Representatives from USCHospitality were not available for comment.

 

Feldman started the HONVO campaign and the petition to address the

problem that he described as a desperate need for vegetarian food on

campus. Feldman said it is difficult to maintain a healthy meatless diet

because of the lack of variety.

 

" Vegetarians can't survive on a diet of only boca burgers and salad, " he

said.

 

Pauline Lee, a freshman majoring in chemical engineering who signed

HONVO's petition, said she could understand how USCHospitality couldn't

cater to all minority groups. Lee said she usually ends up eating the

same things everyday.

 

" I just deal with [the lack of options] because it's my choice. I'm not

going to get all angry at [uSCHospitality] for not providing a lot of

vegetarian options because the majority of people are not vegetarians, "

Lee said.

 

A newcomer to the vegetarian diet, Rebecca Matey, an undeclared

freshman, said she hopes the HONVO campaign is successful because she is

already experiencing difficulties maintaining her new diet.

 

" It's really hard. Lots of times I just eat a grilled cheese sandwich

because there is nothing else to eat, " she said. " It's not fair that

vegetarians only get to eat a few plants and cheese pizza. "

 

Feldman said this lack of vegetarian options in the dining halls stems

from USCHospitality's concern with operating like a business.

 

According to Feldman, USCHospitality said it provides students with food

on a supply and demand basis. Since the students are eating pizza,

french fries and other unhealthy foods, USCHospitality said it will

continue to put those foods in dining halls.

 

Feldman said he feels that students are too stressed at times to think

about what they're eating and so USCHospitality should help by making it

easier to eat healthy instead of only worrying about the business side

of the dining halls.

 

Shirley Edward, a freshman majoring in health promotion and disease

prevention studies, said she would also like to see healthier options.

 

" It would be nice to get more options that aren't fried, meat-based or

cheese-covered, " she said.

 

Amy Aronson, a senior majoring in visual anthropology who is also

working on the HONVO campaign, said she agreed that USCHospitality

should focus on student need and not revenue.

 

" It shouldn't be all about profit. It should be about advocating a

healthy lifestyle and providing it to anyone who wants that, " she said.

" We want to let them know that there is a demand. "

 

Although the main focus of the HONVO campaign is to increase the

vegetarian and vegan choices on campus, its representatives said these

additions would also benefit students who don't follow a restricted

diet.

 

" It's bigger than the whole vegetarian thing. It's about being

health-conscious, " said Feldman. " Even non-vegetarians would like to

have healthier options. "

 

Currently, the most immediate goal of the HONVO campaign is to have a

formal meeting with USCHospitality to discuss the possibilities of

adding more vegetarian food to the dining halls and to propose potential

recipes.

 

According to Feldman, USCHospitality has refused to meet with him and

other HONVO representatives.

 

" They were willing to listen to my concerns, but not to sit down with me

and try to work on this, " said Feldman.

 

Feldman and Aronson said the HONVO campaigners plan to continue

protesting and petitioning until changes are made in the dining halls.

They have started a letter-writing campaign and are currently organizing

another demonstration that will take place before the end of the

semester.

 

" We're not giving up that easily, " Aronson said. " We want to leave this

school a better place than we came here. "