Meatless Mondays a small sacrifice for the environment

Who would have thought a can of Spam could spark so much controversy?

Last Monday, the Ordal Dining Hall launched “Meatless Mondays.” I read the sign and nearly packed my bags and transferred to a school that only lets in true, American meat lovers. How dare they take away my half-priced, overcooked, dry, questionable, mystery meat?

Okay, so maybe I’m being dramatic; the ODH meat isn’t that bad.

However, the loss of meat once every Monday isn’t that hard of a hit. I’d understand the rage if they took away tater tots or—god forbid—the Augie Bowl.

The potential for Augustana to take on healthy and sustainable alternatives to help our environment is something that makes me proud to be a student at Augie.

Not only is this type of attitude good for the planet, it also shows that organizations like Augie Green and ASA are actually being heard by the administration.

I mean, come on, are any of the students at Augie malnourished after one day without meat?

Students can find other sources of protein through nuts, beans, lentils and eggs.

Let’s not forget that ODH didn’t take away any of the other food groups. Dairy, breads and pastas were all still provided Monday.

Thank the Lord for carbs.

Imagine being a vegetarian on campus, struggling to find an alternative to meat. Yet, no matter how limited their resources are, they figure out ways around it.

I wonder if the sign posted for “Meatless Monday” hadn’t been put up if the student body would have even noticed the change?

I know I’ve gone entire days without meat without the intention of avoiding it.

Say students walked in next Monday and saw their options were rice and bean burritos and spaghetti.

No student is going say, “Where is my meat?” Instead, it would sound more like “Am I having Mexican or Italian tonight?”

Another question that’s important to ask is what food groups are students missing because they are replacing them with meat.

How many students actually eat the necessary amount of fruits and vegetables in order to sustain a healthy diet? I know I don’t.

Having “Meatless Mondays” also allows for some interesting and creative new meal combinations.

Stop whining and start getting creative.

Chelsea Felton is a sophomore English and journalism major from Riverton, Wyoming.