Xinyue Zhang (Cindy), Grade 11
UWCSEA (Dover)
When I first joined UWCSEA, what is known as “Veggie Wednesdays” has already been accepted as a part of the regular school routine. I remember looking over at the salad bar one lunchtime, wondering to myself why the shredded chicken breast, a staple of my diet for the past week, wasn’t an option that day. My “new-student buddy” Kayla stood behind me in line, and when I turned to ask her about it, she glanced over, shrugged and said, “Oh today’s probably Veggie Wednesday then”. In fact, her ever so casual tone made me believe almost immediately that Veggie Wednesdays are a long-standing and popular tradition at UWCSEA. Only later did I find out from my senior friends that the road to success of the Veggie Wednesday campaign was far from smooth-sailing.
7 years ago, an idea, a hopeful concept sprang to life. Inspired by the positive feedback of the “Meatless Monday” movement in America, the Student Council and many other student groups thought it was time for UWCSEA to create its own version of Meatless Mondays. There were many uncertainties, but one thing that was for sure was that the main aim of this project would not be trying to convert everyone to vegetarianism or raising empathy around animal rights, but rather to promote the ecological benefits a reduction in meat consumption brings. There would be no “Meat = Murder” or “Animals are not Ingredients” slogans, but simply a display of facts about water usage and air pollution. Sustainability is at the core of the UWC Mission, and it would be counter-intuitive if we didn’t give this a try.
It was decided that as a school, we would ease into it by operating Veggie Wednesdays every other week. In practice, this meant that for two days every month, the school cafeteria would not serve meat. A little inconvenience for sure, but everyone seemed willing to compromise for the time being. As a result, the College was able to save a whopping 5 tons of meat per year! All seemed well until disagreeing voices began to arise.
Perhaps the plant-based alternatives offered by the canteen didn’t taste the best, or maybe personal interests just seemed more tangible at times than the more significant benefits of the environment, or it was due to the fact that no immediate results could be seen, for whatever reason, student complaints erupted in waves, demanding their “freedom of choice” and questioning the real value behind the whole idea. Support of Veggie Wednesdays dropped exponentially. Discussions and panels were held, and some debated whether Veggie Wednesdays should exist at all. At its worst points, those in favour of Veggie Wednesday were even looked down on. Heated conversations were carried out about how the radical choice to go meatless has compromised democracy in return, or that the beneficial impacts of going meatless are nowhere as grand as advertised. “Extreme division,” as my friend would say.
Now fast forward to the year of 2019, where it is the general consensus for Veggie Wednesday to not only continue but become a weekly practice at UWCSEA Dover. Would you believe it if I told you that most, if not all of the backlash, negativity, and complaints have turned into support? It’s true, and all I can say to that is people eventually come around and realize their responsibilities. At this critical point where our future depends on the very choices we make today, Veggie Wednesdays is only one of the many adjustments we have yet to make. As radical as some may call them, they are absolutely necessary towards creating the sustainable future outlined in the UWC mission. While each separate movement may not seem that significant on their own, together they contribute to cultivating more sustainable lifestyles and mindsets. If there’s anything the success of Veggie Wednesdays has taught me, it’s that small, individual actions can be just as powerful as big protests and campaigns. After all, small sacrifices go a long way toward building a sustainable future.
7 years ago, an idea, a hopeful concept sprang to life. Inspired by the positive feedback of the “Meatless Monday” movement in America, the Student Council and many other student groups thought it was time for UWCSEA to create its own version of Meatless Mondays. There were many uncertainties, but one thing that was for sure was that the main aim of this project would not be trying to convert everyone to vegetarianism or raising empathy around animal rights, but rather to promote the ecological benefits a reduction in meat consumption brings. There would be no “Meat = Murder” or “Animals are not Ingredients” slogans, but simply a display of facts about water usage and air pollution. Sustainability is at the core of the UWC Mission, and it would be counter-intuitive if we didn’t give this a try.
It was decided that as a school, we would ease into it by operating Veggie Wednesdays every other week. In practice, this meant that for two days every month, the school cafeteria would not serve meat. A little inconvenience for sure, but everyone seemed willing to compromise for the time being. As a result, the College was able to save a whopping 5 tons of meat per year! All seemed well until disagreeing voices began to arise.
Perhaps the plant-based alternatives offered by the canteen didn’t taste the best, or maybe personal interests just seemed more tangible at times than the more significant benefits of the environment, or it was due to the fact that no immediate results could be seen, for whatever reason, student complaints erupted in waves, demanding their “freedom of choice” and questioning the real value behind the whole idea. Support of Veggie Wednesdays dropped exponentially. Discussions and panels were held, and some debated whether Veggie Wednesdays should exist at all. At its worst points, those in favour of Veggie Wednesday were even looked down on. Heated conversations were carried out about how the radical choice to go meatless has compromised democracy in return, or that the beneficial impacts of going meatless are nowhere as grand as advertised. “Extreme division,” as my friend would say.
Now fast forward to the year of 2019, where it is the general consensus for Veggie Wednesday to not only continue but become a weekly practice at UWCSEA Dover. Would you believe it if I told you that most, if not all of the backlash, negativity, and complaints have turned into support? It’s true, and all I can say to that is people eventually come around and realize their responsibilities. At this critical point where our future depends on the very choices we make today, Veggie Wednesdays is only one of the many adjustments we have yet to make. As radical as some may call them, they are absolutely necessary towards creating the sustainable future outlined in the UWC mission. While each separate movement may not seem that significant on their own, together they contribute to cultivating more sustainable lifestyles and mindsets. If there’s anything the success of Veggie Wednesdays has taught me, it’s that small, individual actions can be just as powerful as big protests and campaigns. After all, small sacrifices go a long way toward building a sustainable future.
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Image Citation: https://mtalvernia.sg/education/plant-based-diets/
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www.unitedworldwide.co