Being Vegan at Wheatland Chili By Hannah Bower

In case you didn’t know, a Vegan is someone who doesn't eat meat, eggs, dairy, or any other substance that came from an animal. In addition to using cruelty free products, this also means not wearing leather. But, I am not just a vegan. I am an activist. I stand for many different social justice issues such as women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and climate change awareness. But, most important to me is animal rights. It seems like a simple idea, but it can become quite complicated. Most people that claim to love animals only mean the pets in their house, or animals you would find in the zoo. But, they don’t see the meat on their plate as animals too.

I haven't always been a vegan. About four years ago I became a vegetarian and never foresaw myself becoming a vegan. Becoming a vegetarian was hard enough. I was like every average American eating meat with almost every meal and was a lover of all things cheesy. Becoming vegan was a commitment I didn't think I would ever be ready to make - that was until I became vegan in the summer of 2017.

Surprisingly, an experience I had in 8th grade science class with Mr. Call was really what started my journey to becoming vegan. We were learning about where our food came from, and in class we watched the documentary Food Inc. The documentary goes into depth on the agricultural industry, genetic modification, and factory farming. I was stunned and completely shocked at what I had learned. I remember talking about it with my friends afterwards. We were saying how sad and messed up it all was. Then, one friend said “...but, I could never give up tacos.” This is something I hear a lot, but it made me really think about the way we choose what we eat and the blissful ignorance we all hold. From that moment on, whenever I ate something with meat in it, I saw it as a life taken, and could not just see it as food.     

Being a senior, I have had my fair share of awkward situations and problems to overcome. One problem I was immediately faced with was school lunches. There were few to no options for me. You may be thinking to yourself “what about the salad bar?” This brings up another misconception that if you’re vegan you must love salad. In fact, I don't love salad and would prefer to eat something more satisfying. Also, I had seen pieces of cheese and chicken nuggets had fallen into the other salad toppings, so cross contamination was an issue.

Another issue I encountered was a more ethical issue: dissection. If I don't eat animals, then I don't want to cut them open. Tenth grade was the first year I had to move past this obstacle. I was luckily given an alternative assignment, but I was still in the classroom surrounded by my peers laughing and making jokes about the baby pig they were dissecting. I couldn't escape the smell, sights, and sounds of what was going on around me.  Most people do not actually think about what they are doing in school; if an assignment is given to you, you do it. Not participating in the event made me feel as an outcast and that my views were not truly considered. But, I held my head high because I fully believed I was doing the right thing. A hard thing about being vegan is having to actively go against the systems set in place.    

Another thing I have encountered is the questions and concerns over my choice to become vegan. I’ve had many conversations with teachers and friends at school about what I eat and why I have made this choice for myself. Being vegan is not a very common thing. About 3% of the global population is vegan, so having questions is okay and encouraged. On the other hand, I have received some negative criticism. Some people feel personally offended and refuse to listen to my point of view. But, that's okay because I was once a person that would hear someone describe themselves as vegan and would think “oh, they're just a hippie,” not really understanding why they were making that choice. The word “vegan” has many connotations. Here's what some of my friends said when I asked them their first thoughts when I said the word vegan: “hippie,” “lettuce,” “a cow,” “a leaf,” “sad because no meat,” “animals are meant to be killed and eaten,” “some act like they are better than everyone else.” My goal is to change people’s perspective on vegans and to show that we have good intentions and just want to help those whose voices are left unheard.                   

Everyone has different beliefs when it comes to the purpose of animals on our planet and the role of humans in their life. Some people don't even know where their food comes from and don't care enough to seek out that information. So when a person comes up to you talking about veganism, it can be overwhelming. I am so thankful for everything I have learned, and I urge anyone reading this to keep an open mind and educate themselves on the topics they find important.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou