The Daily Tar HeelFriday, October 11, 19915
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Turning to vegetarianism more than just a religious experience
Pass the greens; healthier lifestyles, environment reasons for rejecting meat
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ByPritiChitnis
Staff Writer
Hari Krishnas host a vegetarian dinner every Wednesday at 5 p.m.
DTHGarth Fort
"Heifer whines could be human cries
Closer comes the screaming knifeThis
beautiful creature must dieA death for
no reason. ... "
The lyrics of "Meat is Murder" by the
Smiths promote a rather vehement brand
of vegetarianism, but people are turning
to this diet alternative for a variety of
reasons.
Susan Holliman, a dietitian and coor
dinator of the Wellness Resource Cen
ter, said there were five basic categories
of vegetarians.
Vegan, or pure, vegetarians eat an
all-vegetable diet without animal prod
ucts, milk or eggs; lacto vegetarians eat
all-vegetable diets and milk products;
lacto-ovo vegetarians eat all-vegetable
diets along with milk products and eggs;
semi-vegetarians eat vegetable diets and
some animal products; and new veg
etarians eat vegetable diets and some
animal products with an emphasis on
organic, unprocessed, natural foods.
Holliman said vegetarianism was
definitely healthier. "Studies have actu
ally shown that groups like the Seventh
day Adventists have less heart disease,
hypertension and obesity," she said.
Meat products are considered com
plete because they contain the eight
essential amino acids, she said. To re
ceive the same eight amino acids, it is
necessary to eat combinations of differ
ent vegetables.
Holliman recommends eating actual
food instead of taking vitamins to pre
vent B-12, calcium and iron deficien
cies. Poorvi Shah, a University sopho
more, has been a vegetarian all her life.
"Along with the religion, I do agree that
I should have a reverence for life, and I
do not have the right to kill anything,"
she said.'The option was always open
to me but the thought (of eating
meat) never appealed to me."
Lisa Smith, a sophomore, became a
semi-vegetarian at age 1 5. "Around that
age, I realized that what I ate affected
how I felt," she said. "I didn't feel right
when I ate red meat."
Freshman Elizabeth Nelson,
prompted by "a general repulsion for
eating flesh," stopped eating meat at
age 7."l'm not an aggressive vegetar
ian," she said. "It's a choice for health
and my personal well-being. It's a natu
ral inclination. I didn't wake up one
morning and decide to go on a veg
crusade."
Clay Jackson, a freshman at N.C.
State University, said he considered
vegetarianism while working at a pet
store. "I thought it was hypocritical of
me to see these animals and cuddle
them and then go home and eat other
animals."
As an animal rights advocate, Jack
son said he tried not to purchase any
leather products. His whole concept is
trying to be more environmentally ori
ented, and vegetarianism is just part of
that, he said.
Donald Francisco, UNC-CH lecturer
of environmental studies, said: "There's
no doubt that agriculture in general
and that certainly includes the meat
industry is a large source of environ
mental damage. If you're going to grow
a lot of cows, you're going to grow a lot
of plants."
Francisco provided the following
Hare Krishnas offer vegetarian food, spiritual enlightenment to student crowd
By Radha Vatsal
Staff Writer
It's a completely vegetarian, sort of
. Indian meal that is served free to the
residents of Chapel Hill every Wednes
day by the Hare Krishna group.
But according to one of the servers,
Frank Cohen, more than food is being
served. "It's spiritual enlightenment in
edible form.
"God is omnipresent," Cohen said.
"If someone makes him an offering, he
will, if he so desires, accept it. This food
is offered to God and then the remnants
are distributed as God's mercy."
Cohen is originally from Baltimore.
He read the Bhagvad Gita and the book
"Encounters" by Bir Krishna Swami,
head of the Hillsborough Hare Krishnas.
"I was so impressed by (Swami's) clear
and concise message that I got on the
next plane and came to Hillsborough,"
Cohen said.
When asked why the Krishnas come
to Chapel Hill, Cohen replied: "It's
nearby, and the atmosphere is favor
able. The students like us and our food.
They take our books and make small
donations."
Most students seem to attend the
dinners for the food. Kathy Staley, a
junior English education major from
Concord, said: "I liked the food and
went back. The desserts and rice were
great. The atmosphere is friendly, the
servers know your name and ask how
you're feeling."
Mike Grieneisen, a graduate biology
student from Mechanicsburg, Pa.,
agreed. "I've been going fortwo years,"
Grieneisen said. "Some friends told me
that the Krishnas aren't pushy. I met
some of my other friends there and it
turned into a social thing.
"I don't buy in to what they have to
say," he said. "I would call myself an
atheist. This group is into saying, 'This
is what we're about. This is what we
believe. Come join us if you want.'
They seem very laid back."
Kat Wilson, a University secretary,
went to visit the Hillsborough com
mune. "It was foreign but interesting."
The Krishnas are willing to answer
all questions. The Sunday open house
in Hillsborough is an opportunity for
outsiders to attend a prayer session and
lecture by one of the Krishna leaders.
Overnight visits are also allowed.
For Chapel Hill residents, the din
ners are a chance to eat good food, meet
friends and relax. For the Krishnas, it's
a chance to distribute God's mercy and
to spread love and peace.
Cohen said it was important to know
what he called the peace formula while
living in the material world.
"It's the realization that God is the
supreme enjoyer and only real propri
etor of everything," Cohen said. "He is
the well-wishing friend of every living
entity. If we realize this, then there will
be peace in the universe."
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Some vegetarians, however, do not
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Sophomore Arti Patel said,"I think a
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Holliman said, "People can make
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Nelson said although many options
were not always available for vegetar
ians, she found ways to compensate.
"If you go to a cookout, put every
thing on the bun except meat," she said.
Junior Megan Maiorana said she
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Derby said he expected the demand
for vegetarian items in the dining halls
to increase as students became more
health conscious in the next few years.
Anyone opting for vegetarianism
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or consult a dietitian to make sure they
are eating a variety of foods and are
receiving sufficient amounts of the es
sential nutrients, Holliman said.
Patel said, "Nowadays it's become a
lot easier because (restaurants) usually
have at least a couple of (vegetarian)
things on the menu."
Shah said, "Even at big restaurants,
sometimes you fall into the trouble
where all you can get is a salad."
Nelson admitted, "I've spent a lot of
time not eating."
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