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2B Wednesday, January 12, 2011 The Statement

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 // The Statement Ea

statement
Magazine Editor.
Carolyn Klarecki
Editor in Chief:
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Managing Editor:
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Cover photo by Todd Needle
The Statement is The Michigan
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academic year.
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THEJUNKDRAWER
random student intervieW by jordan rochelson

Welcome to the random
student interview where
we accost and humiliate
a poor student. This week's victim:
Jim. What are you studying?
Environment and political science.
Meaning you want to be a...
I wantcto go into a public'policy school
and eventually run for an elected
office in my lifetime.
OK, so you have no interest in mak-
ing money.
Pretty much.
What's the highest aspiration for
you ... the oval office?
I'd like to havea seat on the congress;
that's aiming really high. A state sen-
ate office would be really nice.
Do you belong to MSA?
No, I do not.
So who do you think you are?
Well I'm going to graduate school for
public policy.
Where?
Hopefully Indiana, I haven't gotten
my acceptance yet, but I've applied.
Is that a good school?
It's the third best public policy school
in the country.
What are the top two?
Shoot, I don't remember.
Is thatbecauseyougot rejected and
you are rationalizing?
No, Indiana specializes in environ-
ment so that's why I want to go there.

If you say so. How do you feel about
how Obama is doing?
You know, I agree with him on a lot of
things, I disagree with him on a lot of
things. I'd sayoverall, I disagree with
him.
Did you vote for him?
This is embarrassing, butI didn't vote.
You didn't vote? And you're run-
ning for public office?
Isn't that sad?
What is your experience with GSIs
here at this prestigious University?
Depends on the GSI you get.
Have you ever had one who doesn't
speak English?
Yes.
Does that frustrate you?
Oh my God ... my Calc II GSI, (name
retracted). Couldn't stand him. I
could not understand a word that guy
said.
Have you everbeen accused of
being racist?
Have I ever been?
Just because he doesn't speak Eng-
lish, his name has to be foreign?
That was his name!.
Sure it was. Have you ever had a
really attractive GSI?
Yes, I have one now actually.
What did she teach? Or he?
Or he (laughs), that's fair. She teaches
Environ 201.
Have you ever had something with

her?
No.
It's completely not off the record.
Well, this is just starting, so I'm going
to be working on itI guess.
Is that one of your goals?
You're just trapping me into questions.
Do you think it's less unethical to
sleep with a GSI than it is to sleep
with a professor?
Yes, because they are students just like
you. I don't think that's unethical.
Would yoube upset if you didn't get
an A?
A little bit.
Would you see it as a reflection of
your prowess?
It would be after the class.
Oh, so after you get your grade you
say: Would you like to get some
dinner, or sleep with me?
Exactly.
What's your favorite thing that
people serve in the front of Angell
hall?
I never get any of the stuff here
because you have to sign up for the
e-mail list which I don't like doing.
Wow, God forbid you commit to
something. Vote for (lastname
retracted) in 2016. Do you agree
with the stereotype that vegetar-
ians are better people?
That's not necessarily a stereotype.
Do you think it's the truth?

Well I see the benefit of vegetariansim
because I'm an environment major. I'd
do it too, if I didn't like meat so much.
You kill thingsfor consumption and
they don't. So they are notbetter
than you?
Ithink part of the benefits of the food
chain is that we're on top and morality
shouldn't play into that per say.
Are you ina fraternity?
Yes.
How do you feel about it?
I like it, it's a good group of guys.
What about the ladies that you guys
get to meet?
Um ... I'm not going to comment on the
quality of ladies.
It canbe totally not off the record.
I'm still not going to comment.
Any potential wives?
Yeah, a brother that just graduated is
now engaged.
Mazel tov. Are you going to go to
the wedding?
We weren't that good of friends.
Anything to say about Rich Rod?
I just want us to get a coach and be
done with it.
Do you think I canbe a "Michigan
Man?"
You're a bit small tobea Michigan
coach. I like my coaches to be a bit
bigger.
Jim is an LSA senior

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Ann Arbor is a haven for alternative lifestyles,
but when it comes to a meat-free menu, how
many options are really out there?

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT.
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Ilk,
Submit your original poetry and short
stories for The Statement's annual Literature Issue._
E-mail your submissions to
klarecki@michigandaily.com by
February 25 for consideration.

x

tofu, Jerusalem Garden on South 5th Avenue serves a falafel
and hummus sandwich and Sadako on South University Avenue
offers a vegetable roll and miso soup. A vegan sweet tooth can be
fixed at Silvio's Organic Pizza on North University Avenue with
its vegan cheesecake, chocolate mousse and cookies.
Though most of Ann Arbor is fairly conducive to the veggie
lifestyle, not every restaurant complies. For vegan restaurant
goers, variety and complexity of vegan-friendly options is key in
makinga restaurant attractive.
"At a restaurant, I like to have a meal that doesn't just take out
the meat but replaces it with something like tofu or tempeh,"
De Carolis said. "That's why I like Noodles & Co. because I can
get spaghetti with tofu in it, not just noodles with no protein
source."
Vegetarians and vegans who rely on the dining halls and other
campus eateries as a food source aren't always as fortunate. The
options available within University Unions are generally a meat-
fest, with fast food restaurants like Wendy's and Panda Express
dominating the choices. Most vegan and vegetarian students
also concur that the meat-free options available at the majority
of dining halls are mediocre at best.
"I found the options available in the dining halls limited,
and the options that were available were kind of gross," said De
Carolis, who lived in South Quad Residence Hall as a freshman.
"During lunch they always had this cold tofu available which,
after a while, you don't have any variety with - you can't do
anything but put it on some rice with soy sauce."
Many students are discouraged by the unappetizing appear-
ance of vegetarian and vegan options, which cause non-vegetari-
ans to scoff at those who eat the dining halls' vegetarian options.
"I think I'm the only vegetarian my friends know, so (in the
dining hall) they'd be like, 'that's so gross, why do you eat that?'
" De Carolis said. "It gave them the impression that being a
vegetarian makes you a very narrow person in terms of what you

can eat.
"Now I live with them, so they understand there are more op-
tions. But if that's the only food non-vegetarians see, it's a very
narrow impression of what being a vegetarian is."
LSA junior Lauren Morrison believes common misconcep-
tions about vegetarianism and veganism hold back the Univer-
sity and its students from trying animal-free diet.
"There is a belief that it's more expensive to have vegan op-
tions, but that's usually not the case," Morrison said. "I think
more options in the dining halls would encourage people to eat
healthier and to consider veganism as not this super weird way
to live, but as something that's normalized and healthier."
However, University alum Rodolfo Palma, who worked for the
University for seven years, has noticed changes for the better in
on campus vegan dining from his time as an undergraduate.
Palma lives in Ann Arbor with his two children and wife, all
of whom are vegan, and he would occasionally eat in the dining
hall as a University employee. Like most vegetarians, his resi-
dence hall of choice is East Quad Residence Hall. The selection
vegetarian-friendly dishes is new since his time here at the
University.
"When I was a student first eating in the dorms, I remember
the one thing I could always have was pasta," Palma said. "And
now, when I was eating in East Quad a lot as a staff member, the
food was just amazing - I was surprised."
Palma explained that as an active member of the Michigan
Animal Rights Society as a student, there was a large push for
labeling vegan food in the dining halls and having more vegan
options.
While he admits what he ate as a staff member in East Quad
wasn't exactly gourmet, he was delighted by the diversity and
availability of options - something he and MARS fought for.
Varilone has organized recent efforts with MARS to encour-
age students who may not be vegan or vegetarian to support the

meatless options available in the residence halls. Last winter,
Varilone and MARS orchestrated a program with East Quad
called "Meatless Mondays" to reinforce their cause.
On Mondays, MARS set up a table outside the East Quad Din-
ing Hall and informed students of the benefits of a plant-based
diet and the dining options available.
"We tried to coordinate 'Meatless Mondays' with specific
menu options that were vegan that we thought students would
find especially good or appetizing," he said.
Some vegans are also finding choices in the dining halls out-
side of East Quad. Engineering junior Samantha Luber switched
to a vegan lifestyle and saw the dining halls as a resource.
"Because there are such good vegan availabilities at the din-
ing halls, it has actually given me different ideas of what I can be
eating," she said. "When I first came to school I brought a lot of
canned food and granola bars because I wasn't really sure what
to expect in terms of availability for vegan food ... But then, I
found that a lot of the places are really helpful in making salads
and other things of that nature that are vegan."
Palma explained that an apprehension toward vegan food
stems solely from labeling the items as such - therefore making
omnivores assume because it's labeled vegan, the food is "for-
eign or different."
"We were in charge of getting dessert for Christmas dinner,"
Palma said. "We got these pies which happened to be vegan,
which happened to be the Meijer brand apple and blueberry
pies. (My nephews) refused to eat the pie that they would nor-
mally eat because it happened to be vegan."
Palma noted that much of the food omnivores eat is already
vegan, it's just not marketed as such.
"Vegetarianism is not the lifestyle that a lot of people think of,"
De Carolis said. "People think of really granola-hippie people that
don't want to eat meat. But I'm completely normal - at least I
think so - it's just a lifestyle choice I happen to believe in."