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| Three college students receive free meals thanks to PETA |
by Alex Janco
Staff Writer |
If the best things in life are free, then an entire semester of free food must be a dream.
 That dream came true for three college students thanks to the People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Beginning in the spring semester of 2000, Christina Bondurant of Western Oregon University, Shawna Long of West Virginia University and Jennifer Biss of Bismarck State College will have all of their meals delivered to their dorm door.
What’s the catch? They’re all vegetarian meals. Bondurant, Long and Biss were among 1,000 students who entered a contest that was launched on PETA’s Web site (www.peta-online.org) and PETA’s College Action Campaign (www.collegeactivist.com) and answered five vegetarian-related questions correctly.
“Foods like phoney baloney and wheat meat are great-tasting and low in fat, plus they save animals’ lives and help protect the environment,” PETA’s College Action Campaign coordinator Morgan Leyh said. “It’s a win-win-win-win diet.”
For those who didn’t win the free meals, everyone who entered the contest received vegetarian starter kits and packets of information about health tips and easy vegetarian recipes.
“More and more college kids believe that animals should not suffer just because we get the munchies,” Leyh said.
Some meals that the students will be enjoying include Tofurky deli slices, Not Dogs, veggie burgers, soy milk and vegan cookies.
By going to collegeactivist.com you can learn more about what PETA is doing on school campuses, from starting your own campaign on your own campus to joining other area campaigns, or finding out if there is already a campaign happening on your campus.
Visit PETA’s Web site and view their stance on animal rights. Also, take a look at the many companies on their “black list.”
These are companies who test their products on animals. Companies on this list include Arm & Hammer, Bausch & Lomb, Cover Girl, Procter and Gamble and 3M, as well as Alberto Culver, which is located on 25th and North Avenues in Melrose Park.
There are also more than 20 stories on their Web site about newsworthy events that have animals or animal cruelty as the subject. Just recently, for example, the Portuguese parliament in the city of Barrancos rejected a proposal to legalize public killing of bulls in the city after protesters led by PETA sent a flood of letters.
On a more positive note, the state of Texas is currently offering “Animal Friendly” license plates. If 17,500 are sold by the year 2004, then all funds will go toward the spaying and neutering of animals. PETA is also trying to convince Wal-Mart to stop selling fish because of its care, or lack thereof toward them.
To become an activist, learn about other companies that use animals to test their products, or to learn about the benefits of becoming a vegetarian, just visit PETA’s Web site. |
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