(Posted February 11, 2016)

Meatless Mondays, organized by students, features vegetarian cuisine at Oller Center.
Meatless Mondays, organized by students, features vegetarian cuisine at Oller Center.

On Monday, Feb. 1, Juniata students organized Meatless Monday -- a dinner at Oller center, housing the Center for International Education and the baker Institute, which is open to all students and is free from any animal products. Meatless Monday, open to carnivores and herbivores alike, brought students together for a chance to eat a healthy, mindful meal.

Hannah Jeffrey, a senior from Kempton, Pa.,who organized Meatless Monday, hoped to open up a dialogue about food on campus. The food prepared is organic when available, and more sustainable because it did not contain any animal products. Factory-farmed meat, dairy and eggs have a large, negative effect on the environment by contributing to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and water pollution.

"We want to get more people involved," said Jeffrey. Cutting meat out of just one meal a week can lead to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. It also gives students a chance to meet other like-minded people and share ideas about food and its environmental impact.

Jeffrey hopes Meatless Monday will pave the way for a vegan or vegetarian club on campus.

The first event was highly successful, and drew a crowd that was larger than expected. With enough student interest, Jeffrey will continue to encourage students to consider their food choices and how that relates to sustainability. When food that is healthy for people and the environment is as delicious as it was on Meatless Monday, the decision to live more sustainably becomes much easier.

Laura Snyder, Juniata Online Journalist

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.