In the coming weeks, Boston University will be receiving a shipment of stickers to be distributed across campus, advocating for a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle on behalf of peta2, a subgroup of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals. While promoting a healthy, cruelty-free lifestyle among a generation as progressive as ours is a positive initiative, doing so in a way that hints at propagandizing is unnecessary. BU is a diverse institution, welcoming students of all ethnicities and walks of life –– no one should be pressed upon the rest, especially not by an outside entity, regardless of the message. If BU wishes to advocate healthier eating habits, it should do so by its own means –– through offering more vegan and vegetarian options in its dining halls and retail dining spots and educating the student body about vegan/vegetarian lifestyles. Allowing peta2 to plaster campus with provocative stickers that literally shout a message that may not work for everyone is serving PETA more than it serves students.
Consider the situation if it were the meat industry wishing to spread the news about their business around campus instead of peta2 –– posters depicting steaks and burgers would do little to convert vegetarians, and would say nothing to carnivores. Neither group would benefit intellectually or socially, and isn’t that what college is about? With all of the distractions on Commonwealth Avenue that BU students face every day, it’s important that the administration finds a way to drown out the noise and focus on its sole task: educating its students. Allowing outside parties to propagandize and influence students’ lifestyle choices is neither the right nor the responsibility of the university.
A more integrated approach to teaching students about altering their diets for the better would be more appropriate than a flurry of preachy, lime-green stickers designed to isolate certain groups of students. Organizing on-campus seminars and talks from nutritionists, having student debates or opening an all-vegan eating destination on campus are all examples of ways BU can help transmit a positive message to students without relying on self-serving outsiders that have an agenda that isn’t complicit with that of university administration. Otherwise, the carnivore-vegetarian dilemma will only keep perpetuating the way it always has –– an overzealous shouting match.
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First, it’s the BU vegetarian society that will be handing out the stickers, not an outside institution. We are students who will be attempting to spread awareness of a cause that we care about. Informing people about veganism is not the same as forcing people to go vegan; we aren’t trying to force our lifestyle on people.
What is the difference between a vegan promoting veganism and a fraternity promoting greek life?
I really don’t understand why a newspaper is suggesting that some people should be prevented from exercising their freedom of speech on campus.
Second, asserting that the meat industry doesn’t propagandize is just wrong. Television is full of advertisements for the meat industry and they are designed to get omnivores to eat more meat and to think their industry is wholesome and family oriented (among other things). Or how about when the dining hall holds lobster night, is that not promoting the lobster industry? Again, why are vegans not allowed to promote their cause?
I think people would benefit intellectually if they were given information about veganism. It’s a form of education, not noise. We also won’t be “plastering the campus” and the stickers are not lime green or “isolating”.
Finally, we have seminars about vegetarianism regularly. Just last week, we had a speaker discuss the ways that the meat industry is polluting the environment. As for debates:
https://dailyfreepress.com/2010/09/20/peta-bu-debate-society-spar-over-animal-rights/
“BU can help transmit a positive message to students without relying on self-serving outsiders that have an agenda that isn’t complicit with that of university administration.”
A) You mean the BU vegetarian society, not BU
B) Our message is positive.
C)Their agenda agrees with our agenda on this one. Peta has resources that the vegetarian society simply doesn’t so we will obviously accept their contributions when offered.
D) Why does the administration’s agenda matter?
Also, there are no carnivores on campus. At least I hope not because that is a really unhealthy diet for humans. Please, carnivores, eat some vegetables for your own health. Humans are not meant to survive on only meat.