Alas, fall has arrived! And the season has painted its colors beautifully all over the River Campus (and beyond!). I, for one, will be taking advantage of having Monday and Tuesday off from classes by going home to New England, an area famous for its fall leaves. The only down side to fall break? Missing Meatless Monday.
As someone whose food identity lies somewhere between “flexitarian” and vegetarian, Meatless Mondays at Douglass Dining Hall mean that I don’t have to worry about a thing–essentially no fretting over ingredients, and no second-guessing myself. Douglass on Monday nights is almost entirely meat-free! Plus, their most recent promotion allows you to request the meatless foods that you want to see (let’s get some quinoa in there?!).
Americans have a tendency to overdo it on the meat. Team Green reports that the average American eats 45% more meat daily than what is recommended by nutritionists. So cutting out meat for dinner once a week (or more!) means a healthier you, and a healthier environment, as the meat industry in the US has a pretty massive carbon footprint. Plus, Meatless Monday means I get to visit a few friends. That is, Team Green.
Team Green, founded in 2008, is a group of five student interns that works with Dining Services under director Cam Schauf. Their biggest goal is to successfully act as a liaison between dining services and their peers: the student body. You’ve probably seen some of their projects around on campus: reusable mug programs that score you discounts on coffee and tea, eco-clamshells that allow you all kinds of mobility with your meals, and the increase of Fair Trade products on campus. If you haven’t gone apple picking yourself yet this season, dining’s got you covered: as the first university to join the Pride of New York Program in 2007, and with an impressive current rate of 28% of food served on campus coming from local places, we’ve come pretty far–in all kinds of ways! Look out for Local Foods Week early next month, for even more information.
Let’s not forget about their work behind the scenes. In addition to meetings and presentations, they collaborate with other groups on campus as well, including SAVVY, UHS, Eco-Reps, Grassroots, and Greenspace. Now that you know more about what they do, go stop and say “hi,” next Monday, October 15, in Douglass. They’ll be the ones wearing the sweet new t-shirts.
Written by Kathleen Shannon, Class of 2013