Mushroom stew replaced chicken dinners and red meat was exchanged for black bean cakes at Home Plate Wednesday night, welcoming supporters of the "Veg Pledge," a national effort to encourage college students to commit to vegetarianism for one day. The second annual Veg Pledge day, organized at the College by the Dartmouth Animal Welfare Group, recruited 276 students, an increase from the 100 students to sign the pledge last year.
The official pledge, available to students online, asked participants to abstain from eating meat on Wednesday and to commit to "a more ethical diet in the future." The pledge is part of a larger effort at over 60 other colleges across the country.
"I am concerned about the suffering of farm animals and the impact of meat production on global warming, the environment, and my health," the pledge states.
According to literature DAWG distributed for the event, maintaining a meat-based diet requires three to five times more water than a vegetarian diet.
"[Eating meat] is the most environmentally destructive thing that we do," DAWG treasurer Kelly McGlinchey '12 said. "So much energy goes into producing each kilogram of beef, and eventually we're going to feel the effects of that."
The fuel necessary to produce one hamburger patty, according to the literature, is enough to drive a car for 20 miles.
McGlinchey added that the abuse and killing of animals should be another reason to consider vegetarianism.
The group distributed several pieces of literature that outlined the plight of animals in factory farms and had pictures of distressed and suffering animals.
"Today, animals are crammed by the thousands into factory farms and deprived of everything that is natural and important to them -- they will never raise their young, feel the sun on their faces, or breathe fresh air," a pamphlet published by the animal rights organization PETA states.
Many students do not realize how easy it is to give up meat and animal products, Chloe Greenbaum '12, who is vegan, said.
"A lot of people, without realizing it, eat vegan food all the time," she added.
Greenbaum compiled a list of all the vegan meal options offered in campus cafeterias and several local restaurants, which she distributed to students. The list includes the black bean burger from Food Court, Odwalla bars sold in Novack and the teriyaki burrito from Boloco.
"I think a plant-based diet is the healthiest way to eat," she said. "I don't know where to start, there's been a ton of research."
Greenbaum added that it "is a shame" that meat and dairy companies advertise that consumers need to eat meat to be healthy.
Members of DAWG encouraged students in Novack Cafe, the Collis Center and Thayer Dining Hall to sign the Veg Pledge, but were met with mixed responses, according to McGlinchey.
"A lot of people dismiss it," McGlinchey said. "Even giving up meat for a meal is hard for them."
Caroline Ward '11 and Anna Levine '11 both signed the pledge, and said they did not anticipate that abstaining from meat would be a problem. Not eating meat is better for nutrition and the environment, Ward said, although she added that she believes eating meat in moderation is fine.
"Humans have been eating meat since the caveman days," Levine said.
Although she believes eating meat is natural, Levine said she signed the pledge because agricultural practices used in the production of meat products have had adverse affects on the environment.
Home Plate served a primarily vegetarian and vegan meal on Wednesday, featuring mushroom stew with polenta, black bean cakes and mock-duck stir-fry, although salmon and mahi mahi were also included on the menu. No red meat or chicken dishes were available.
Home Plate also offered a Veg Pledge dinner last year, which was "probably one of our most well attended events," Beth Rosenberger, manager of Home Plate, Novack Cafe and Caf North, said.
Rosenberger emphasized the nutritional benefits of a vegetarian diet.
The bean cakes have as much protein as a typical serving of meat, with less fat and calories, she explained.
Home Plate offers a vegetarian or vegan dinner option every night, Rosenberger said, although the cafeteria typically sells less of this meal. Many students see the option as an additional choice for a side dish, she added.
Over the 10 years that she has worked at Home Plate, Rosenberger said she has noticed a slight increase in the demand for vegetarian food, although she added this has not been "a huge jump." The increase encouraged Rosenberger to add more items to the vegetarian and vegan menu this year, she said.
Jenny Palmer, a senior at Princeton University, is the organizer of the national Veg Pledge days, which began last year. Dartmouth was one of the 33 schools that participated in the event in 2007.
