April 18, 2014
On Monday, April 14, the Days-Massolo Center (DMC) hosted a panel discussion and dinner about being vegan at Hamilton College. The event was part of the Spring 2014 Health [Care] Program Series organized by the DMC. The panelists were four members of the Hamilton community: Assistant Professor of Mathematics Courtney Gibbons, Professor of English Onno Ooerlemans, Nicole LaBarge ’15 and Lyndsay LaBarge ’17. During the two-hour event, students and faculty discussed their experiences of being vegan or vegetarian, sharing personal stories and useful tips.
The discussion began with the panelists telling stories about how and why they decided to become vegan. The majority of the panelists said that when they decided they wanted to change their diet, they started off as vegetarians, cutting only meat out of their menus. Professor Gibbons shared that she became a vegetarian at the early age of six after she watched a video about the methods of killing cows for meat. In the next 10 years, she also stopped eating all dairy products. LaBarge ’15, on the other hand, became vegan overnight after reading a compelling and convincing book during her first year at Hamilton.
The panelists also shared some of the struggles they have had because of their diet. Professor Ooerlemans explained that when he initially became vegetarian over 25 years ago, the concept of not eating meat was not at all popular and many people told him he would get sick. The LaBarges explained that even now their personal physician does not miss an opportunity to attribute any type of discomfort or illness to the fact that they are vegan. Professor Gibbons also shared that when she was growing up, her traditional Italian family had a very hard time understanding her decision to stop eating meat and holidays and family celebrations were particularly challenging times for her.
In general, peoples’ decisions to become vegetarian or vegan can include spiritual, health and environmental reasons. The panelists expressed that it is especially important for “regular” eaters to understand that even though being vegan or vegetarian is oftentimes a conscious decision, non-meat eaters want to be treated with the same respect that people with gluten allergies are treated. Furthermore, giving a vegetarian or vegan a regular meal without meat does not equate to a sufficient meal.
Bon Appétit served a special vegan dinner for the participants that sparked a dialogue as to why Hamilton does not have a vegan club/society. In response, Director of Diversity and Inclusion Amit Taneja, took the names and contact information of the students and faculty interested in potentially forming a club. Participants in the discussion also suggested that Bon Appétit put more effort into providing a wider range of vegan options in the dining halls over weekends.
As LaBarge ’17 said, “The positives of being a vegan definitely outweigh the negatives. Being vegan means taking care of yourself and the environment.” After two hours of talking and enjoying vegan food, the event ended with an exchange of vegan- and vegetarian-friendly recipes, cook books and culinary blogs.
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