From Amanda:
May 13: The first week of class really started out with a bang. I was compelled to take this class because of Ecological Eating, which I took last May term. Throughout that course, Vegan revolution was referenced and it peaked my interest. Growing up with a vegetarian mother and grandmother, I have always leaned towards vegetarianism. However, the vegetarians in my family are not the healthiest vegetarians- they eat the same as the rest of the family but simply cut meat out of their diet. I am interested in being a healthy vegetarian, and if vegan is the way to go for me, then this course is the way that I will figure that out. The readings for this week were very interesting. The first days' reading kind of surprised me- we were reading about how to form an effective argument. I understand now that the point of the reading was to help us with our final paper for the class, but before we discussed the reading, I was thinking we were reading about how to argue because most vegans are argumentative and in-your-face about their dietary choices. I hope that this class helps expel stereotypes and prejudices I have about vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike. I am very excited to learn more about the Five Pillars for becoming Vegan throughout the rest of this semester.