As my dwindling bank account can attest, I quite prefer the food and ambience of the local restaurant scene to that of the dorms. The options for vegans are plentiful and satisfying. Omi Sushi offers delicious vegetable rolls (the sweet potato rolls are addicting), India Palace has fantastic samosas and nearly every reputable restaurant has a veggie burger on the menu. Often, “hold the cheese” is enough to make that tempting dish vegan.

Secondly, while readily admitting that much of the food produced today is both environmentally unsustainable and ethically questionable, Kersjes suggesting avoiding those foods amounts to nothing more than an “arbitrary” decision. With all due respect to Kersjes, I think she needs to look up the word “arbitrary.” Boycotting factory farms because of their documented and widespread cruelty toward animals is not an arbitrary decision, rather one rooted in compassion and concern for animals, our environment and health. It’s not enough to recognize injustice — sometimes you have to take action.

Finally, like all diets, vegetarian and vegan diets should be carefully planned. When done right, vegan diets can and should be very healthy. In fact, many people initially become vegans because of health concerns.

Being vegan is not about imposing rules or trying to fit a certain label — it’s about decreasing suffering. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live simply so others may simply live.”

Ahlam Mohsen

anthropology junior