A sweet and mildly spicy dish of a bed of rice, crispy broccoli, green onion and crispy tofu was the star of American University’s VegFest on Oct. 24.
The Animal Rights Coalition of American University and Plant Futures AU hosted and organized the event. Along with vegan food from different cuisines, both clubs educate students on how plant-based eating ties to social justice and environmental issues.
Rebecca Zewdie, the president of Plant Futures AU and a sophomore in the College of Arts Sciences helped organize the event with Sophie Cezares, president of the Animal Rights Coalition chapter and a senior in the School of International Service and CAS.
“Plant Futures is more focused on careers that are at the intersection of environmental health and plant-based foods,” Zewdie said. “The Animal Rights Coalition has a pretty similar mission to Plant Futures, but talks more about how many animals are harmed every year for human consumption.”
Zewdie said the Terrace Dining Room is a “safe option” for plant-based food, but wishes there were more retail spots on campus that offered plant-based options.
Wilford Adjei, a first-year master’s student at the Kogod School of Business, said he was on his way to study when he heard blaring music and saw students lined up across the quad. Adjei said he usually eats a mix of meat and meatless foods.
Adjei tried General Tso’s tofu, made by PowPow D.C., an Asian fusion fast-casual restaurant with multiple locations.
“I love the flavor,” Adjei said. “I could go for more.”
Both clubs hope students will learn the social benefits of plant-based eating, Zewie said.
The New Roots Institute, an organization that hosts leadership fellowships for students to advocate for the end of factory farming of animals, mentored both Zewdie and Cezares. Factory farming is a method used to raise animals to be killed for food.
“We’re recruiting, we’re educating, training and then positioning them to be lifelong animal and environmental advocates,” said Becca Rogers, leadership development manager at the New Roots Institute.
Rogers said fellows also get involved in legislative advocacy for factory farming.
Zewdie said plant-based eating relates to environmental, social justice and human rights issues, such as how workers are treated in factory farms.
“Working in a factory farm is a very traumatizing job,” Zewdie said. “A lot of the people that work in those industries are lower-income people, a lot of them are immigrants that might be undocumented or people of color that are desperate for jobs.”
VegFest also featured tacos from The Vegan Factory and Caribbean-southern dishes from Lovelei Duo LLC. The “carne asada” taco had a smoky flavor and was served with a fresh mini slice of lime. The Lovelai Duo LLC made a pasta-based dish with plant-based meat and a sweet flavor.
“We just want to expose people to plant-based foods and that was our main mission going into this,” Zewdie said.
Editor’s note: Sophie Cezares, president of the Animal Rights Coalition of American University, is a former member of The Eagle. Cezares was not involved in the pitching, writing or editing of the story.
This article was edited by Sydney Hemmer, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner.Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Ariana Kavoossi and Charlie Mennuti.
