Spring Break
URI serves up vegan nuggets, sloppy Joes to earn nomination for 'Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges'
Chris Curtis
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: News
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Peta2 bills itself as the world's largest youth animal rights organization, and created the list to recognize colleges for outstanding dedication to incorporating vegetarian and vegan food into the menu.
The organization made its nominations based on student recommendations and online feedback, and the list will now be winnowed down until a single institution emerges as Most Vegetarian-Friendly College of 2008.
Ryan Huling, peta2's college activist liaison, said he is hoping the contest will help to highlight the needs of vegetarian students.
"I think the contest does a great job of showing how mainstream vegetarian and vegan options are these days," Huling said.
Huling said one in four college students are actively seeking vegan options.
URI Dining Services offers a variety of vegetarian and vegan options in addition to those specifically cited in the commendation. Mainfare dinning hall features a variety of customizable options for the meat-shy, including salad and pasta bars and a stir-fry station. Common menu items include vegan patties, vegan nuggets and a number of intrinsically meat-free dishes, such as broccoli.
Associate Director of Dining Services Michael McCullough said he was not initially informed of the nomination.
"I feel pretty proud," McCullough said. "We've tried over the last couple of years to increase our vegetarian and vegan offerings."
McCullough said this growing demand for vegetarian and vegan foods can be attributed to increases in two separate groups, actual vegetarians and students choosing to eat healthier.
"It's definitely a need whether they come out and wave flags or they just choose to eat that way," McCullough said.
While Peta2 is dedicated to ending cruelty to animals, McCullough takes a more pragmatic approach to the decision to serve vegan items.
"We're a public institution and our customers pay to go here, so it's pretty much what they want," McCullough said. "We've given up a long time ago on the idea of a captive audience here."
