Ultimately, the choice to eat meat could be regarded as an ethical issue, but it is undoubtedly, among other things, an aesthetic issue. People don’t eat meat because they enjoy the thought of animals dying en masse in slaughterhouses across the globe, but because they enjoy the taste of roasted animal flesh. Are they justified in that belief? Should they be forced to care? Perhaps. But ultimately, most people put their bellies before their morals—and rightfully so.

Perhaps animals ought to be treated in kinder terms, and I want to be very clear about where I stand: I do think that factory farming, or any other inhumane method of slaughtering and breeding animals, should be replaced by more humane methods of raising and killing animals. But I don’t think there is an extra obligation to refrain from killing animals altogether­—after all, there is no real “meaning” to a cow’s life, other than to be killed for the cow’s meat. Animals need to end life to propagate their own, and this is an undeniable fact of nature.

Sure, animals might lead a hard life on the range, what with the neutering and branding and penned-in spaces. But is it really that much worse than the average human’s life? Sure, factory farming is cruel, but surely raising animals in a free-range environment would be far kinder to the animals than in nature: Remember that it takes a wolf roughly half an hour to kill a cow, and the poor cow stays alive through most of this time as it gets eaten alive.

Of course, we also draw incredibly arbitrary lines between what we think is worthy of living or not. What about insects? Viruses? Sure, perhaps they cannot feel pain, but what about the tons of mice and small rodents that are the collateral damage of large-scale agricultural farming? The best way to avoid that would be to grow a garden in your backyard, with no pesticides or other ways to protect your plants from predators, and to eat nothing else. Inconvenient? Sure, but so is veganism—if morality was truly a matter of convenience, we’re all just as guilty as the next.

Ultimately, I’m not trying to argue that eating meat is moral, or that vegans are immoral. In fact, at the heart of my argument is that the world is an inherently immoral place, with injustices and suffering across the world. Sure, we can do our part to limit suffering, but at the point where some people condemn others for causing some select organisms to suffer while killing (directly or indirectly) other organisms themselves, there’s something to be said about consistency. Every ounce of effort made and every dollar spent toward a vegan diet could be used elsewhere to help actual human beings, who always come before animals. Starving children in Africa or crying pigs in the slaughterhouse? The world’s a tough place.

AJ is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at asundar@wustl.edu.

Not only am I overtly vegetarian, but I’m one of those irritating ones who believe that everyone else should choose to become vegetarian as well. Like all moral questions, there happens to be a correct course of action with regard to whether  people should deliberately kill animals to eat their meat.

That being said, I believe everything is up for intellectual discourse. Molotov cocktails and shotguns aren’t my style, although intimidating and/or shooting everyone who currently eats meat would probably be the most expeditious method of eliminating omnivores. I have reasons why I adhere to vegetarianism, and I’m not afraid to expose them to challenge through debate. Hopefully, I’ll complicate or change a few people’s views about their diets.

For me, becoming a vegetarian was a personal choice—I was not indoctrinated by Neo-Hippie parents or brainwashed by a commune. My main reason for becoming a vegetarian was purely moral—I simply don’t believe it is correct to arbitrarily draw a line between which lives to respect and which to take based on the distinctions among species. Animals think and, more importantly, feel. Although they may not share mental capabilities with humans, they process pain and pleasure. Depriving them of their lives, and making miserable what limited time they have, is wrong. Arguments that animals are mentally inferior and therefore unworthy of moral consideration could just as easily be applied to the mentally disabled. This reasoning seems to be a cover-up for moral standing based on tastiness. Most people would not condone the torture and killing of a kitten; but the same behavior, applied to animals we find tasty and not as adorable, is accepted and institutionalized. Forget happy cows in verdant pastures; factory farm-raised animals are treated abominably before they are slaughtered. Chickens are fed and drugged to grow fat at the quickest possible rate. As a result, their lungs and limbs often can’t keep up, crippling them. To keep costs down, animals are crammed into the smallest possible spaces. Pigs are confined in cages that are so inhibiting that they can’t turn around or lie down. Bulls are castrated and have their horns ripped out of their heads.

My awareness for environmental concerns represents another important reason I became a vegetarian. According to a 2006 report by the United Nations, the meat industry is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to global warming.” The industry as a whole produces more greenhouse gases “than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes and ships around the world combined” (H. Steinfeld et al., “Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, Livestock, Environment and Development” (2006)). Not only do the animals produce large amounts of carbon dioxide but also methane (a byproduct of digestion and animal feces) and nitrous oxide, which are both more potent than carbon dioxide. Producing meat also takes up massive amounts of energy. According to a 2002 study by E Magazine, one-third of all the energy in the U.S. goes toward producing meat.

At about this point in the discussion, my friends generally come up with irrefutable examples of logical reasoning. Their brilliant refutations often include, “What if carrots have feelings too?” When carrots wail in agony when I munch them, I will go out and rip apart a deer with my bare hands. In the meantime, I refuse to contribute to the culture of meat munching, and hope others will as well.

Natalie is a freshman in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at ndvillal@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.”

Freshman Melanie Driscoll contemplates the vegetarian options at Bear’s Bakery & Grill. While she is not actually a vegetarian, Driscoll said she enjoys the shorter lines for vegetarian food. (Kim Jones | Student Life)

Whether you’re undergoing some stress relief with a vat of ice cream, overfeeding yourself for that biology test or just sharing some chips with friends, food, we can agree, is key to the college experience. People appreciate having the food that they like and want at their disposal.

The question is—does Washington University help make this possible for all of its students? Many students at Wash. U. have specific dietary guidelines due to religious beliefs, personal ideals or health requirements. The school, however, seems to be doing a great job catering to this unique population. Especially with the new dining center and menus on campus, vegetarians have many more options.

About being a vegetarian, junior Harry Alper said, “Wash. U. is a great place to try it.”

With pastas, falafel and tofu as near regulars at campus eateries—as well as soy chicken in burrito lines and the occasional vegetable chili—Wash. U. offers a solid vegetarian selection. The service itself received good marks, and Alper’s opinion, in particular, is that the vegetarian station has the “friendliest staffers around.”

“I think the staff at Wash. U. is really helpful, really accommodating,” junior Lucy Gellman said. “They watch out for the needs of every student.”

Sophomore Vaidehi Ambai said the employees seem “understanding of [a vegetarian’s] decision.”

The Danforth University Center seems to be the hotspot for many vegetarians on campus.

“There’s a good variety, black bean burgers at the grill, taco salads,” Ambai said. “You can get the pizzas. The Asian line always has a vegetarian option.”

Cole slaw is one of the many vegetarian options at Bear’s Bakery and Grill in South 40 House. Among the other vegetarian options on campus are falafel, black bean burgers, pastas and tofu. (Kim Jones | Student Life)

The new South 40 dining options, according to Ambai, are more of a mixed bag. The different opening and closing hours of the South 40’s eating stations felt like a downgrade from Bear’s Den near-24-hour service, and the lack of added quesadilla ingredients put a damper on one of Ambai’s favorite dishes.

Hopefully, this is only a lapse in what is otherwise a respectable service. Bon Appétit has incorporated measures that suggest it generally understands the wishes of its vegetarian customers. In the case of the new dining options, this means having a separate grill and fryer altogether to avoid cooking meat and vegetables in the same areas. Color-coding for spatulas and other cooking utensils in the DUC also help to reduce these dangers.

Furthermore, Bon Appétit is striving to make its vegetarian options more mainstream. The plan, according to Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager for Bon Appétit, is to maximize the flavor and texture of the dishes. Well-seasoned, delicious vegetarian options are attractive not just to vegetarians themselves but also to a considerable part of the student body.

“I know how hard it can be when you go out to find something that isn’t a plate of steamed vegetables,” Executive Chef Justin Keimon said. The chef has incorporated Moroccan spices, Thai pineapple tofu and Italian influences alternatively in his vegetarian dishes. While the actual impact of these new meals remains a mystery, the chef did explain that the popularity of veggie dishes is considerable and that “the amount of vegetarian [food] that we’re selling [in] the DUC is amazing.”

What is good for the body is, hopefully, now popular and good for the taste buds as well. And it seems this leaves Wash. U. closer to allowing all of its students their personal brands of happy eating.