As someone who is not only from the South (barbeque capital of the world) but is also half Greek, and thus accustomed to roasting an entire lamb on a spit in my backyard on major holidays, there is no way anyone could ever possibly convince me to become a vegan. As an adherent of the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, giving up meat for the 40 days of Lent is hard enough.

While the pamphlet only posits reducing the amount of meat you consume, there are many ways that someone who eats meat and consumes dairy products can support more ethical farming practices. Every time you buy these goods at the grocery store, you are voting for or against factory farming practices. You, as a consumer, can effect real change.

For example, bovine growth hormone (rGBH or rBST) was FDA approved to increase milk production in dairy cows, but it caused many of them to get painful udder infections and in some cases malnutrition. Monsanto (which, by the way, has a building in its name on our campus) tried to suppress these health risks from being leaked to the public. Because many consumers refused to buy products from companies using this hormone, many companies stopped using it on their cows in order to maintain their profits. The website for the Prairie Farms milk that is sold by Bon Appétit says that while their decision not to use growth hormone “does not reflect health and safety issues,” it was “driven by a change in the market place.”

Any meat or dairy products in the grocery store that are certified organic come from animals that were not given growth hormones, antibiotics or forced into cannibalization. In addition, free-range chickens are not kept in cages for their entire lives, although they may still live in extremely crowded environments.

If you want more information about the factory farming system and the ways in which you can be a meat eater and support sustainable, cruelty-free (well, except for the whole killing-to-eat-them part) farming, I highly recommend the Oscar nominated documentary “Food, Inc.,” as well as “Dirt: The Movie” and “King Corn.”

I would have made this argument to the vegan protester in person, but he would probably agree with my two vegetarian suitemates that the killing of any animal constitutes animal cruelty. Whatever choices you make concerning what you eat, remember your dollar can make a difference.

Stella Kamm is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. Write to Stella at SKAMM@WUSTL.EDU

Created last year by sophomore Rebecca Hunter, the BBC is an interest group that advocates for students with dietary restrictions, primarily vegans and vegetarians. While unique in the sense that most communication within the club occurs on Facebook instead of in meetings, the club does host numerous events for its members, centered on food and culinary education.

“[The club] just had an event where we had a chef’s table [at the Village],” Hunter said. “We were sitting in the back of the Village kitchen, and we were having dinner, where the chefs made different dishes that we tried out, and they talked to us about what we thought.”

The informal conversation between the BBC and Wash. U.’s chefs is an essential part of the club’s mission, which is to bring more healthy eating options, especially those that are meat-free, to campus. The main purpose of the club is to allow members to make comments and suggestions about the eating arrangements offered to Hunter.

She then takes these comments to available chefs, or more specifically to Nadeem Siddiqui, the resident district manager for Bon Appétit.

“A lot of it is people will post quotes on the [Facebook] wall, or they’ll shoot me an e-mail and say, ‘Oh, I have a suggestion.’ I’ll give it to Nadeem Siddiqui and say, ‘We have these awesome ideas…could we see more of this?’” Hunter said.

The dining staff takes these suggestions seriously, Hunter said, and many have already been implemented, such as an increase in the offerings of potatoes and green vegetables. Such changes are good for everybody wishing to partake in a healthier diet, which is just what the club works toward. In addition, Hunter emphasized that “meat eaters” are indeed welcome to join the club if they have an interest.

“We really try to appeal to everybody. We don’t preach either way—be what you want to be,” Hunter said. “If you have more options, the better it is for everyone. We just want people to be able to eat, enjoy their food and be happy and healthy.”

Referring to the educational aspect of the BBC’s events, Hunter said, “We want people to learn how to feed themselves after college if they want to continue being healthy. It’s also an aspect of ‘You are a vegetarian, now what do you do?’”

Recipe options, what to buy food-wise at the grocery store, and how one can explore the options on campus and make changes are all topics addressed by the interest group.

If you are interested in joining, simply look up “BlackBean Burger Club” on Facebook, where you will find the group’s main page.

“The main goal [of the club] is that there are no hungry vegetarians on campus and that everyone else is eating healthy as well,” Hunter said. “We’ll get there.”