Final Project Progress

Tomorrow I will doing my first interview with Tim Saucer, a graduate student and veteran. I am really excited to start filming and begin to see how the story unfolds with each interview we do. The student veteran organization has been extremely helpful in allowing us to find interviews. 

As for my own story, I am beginning to research it a bit more. I attended a student/faculty veteran lunch a few weeks ago and started speaking with some veterans on campus to get ideas. I somehow ended up in a picture and am on their website... you can find the picture yourself if you would like. 

During the lunch I learned about a Wounded Warrior benefit that will be taking place in a few weeks. I am in touch with one of the founders of Student Veterans association about a story revolving around wounded soldiers coming back from Iraq and how the University of Michigan medical services are helping veterans re-acclimate. Here is a link to the University of Michigan Veteran's Connection home page: 

U-M Veteran's Connection

I am also looking into topics regarding the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare system. So far I have been emailing a few people who volunteer with the Healthcare system. 

While so far my story has been focusing on events being held by the student veterans and health effects of the war recent events have shifted my attention. 

Tonight Pres. Obama announced his plans to send 30,000 U.S.troops to Afghanistan by the summer of next year and to withdraw troops by July 2011. 

Here is a nice photo slideshow from the Washington Post about his address tonight: 

Obama announces Afghanistan troop increase 

I think that this announcement could be very important to our project. I would like to look into the effect that this will have on a local level. During the address Obama discussed the economic issues facing our country and need to strengthen the country on an internal order to preserve power. I think that in relation to Michigan and the suffering economy, there is a very interesting parallel. 

I think that being on a college campus, there is a unique opportunity to observe reflections of the war in Ann Arbor, an area where the majority of residents voted for Obama in the Presidential Election just one year ago. 

Here is an article from the Detroit Free Press that brings the recent announcement to a local and national level. The article's organization is not entirely clear, but the information contained in the article is extremely relevant and illustrates the multi-layered effect this increase in troops will have. 

Detroit Free Press: Obama: 'Our security is at stake' in Afghan buildup 

Here is an article published on Newyorktimes.com this past Monday, November 23rd. The article talks about after-dinner drinks and a new addition to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I think the article is a nice attempt to bring in Italy's dining culture with the tradition of Thanksgiving. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/dining/25pour.html?_r=2&hp

Coming home for Thanksgiving this fall, I am interested to see how a vegetarian diet affects my meal and sense of satiation at the end of eating. Everyone associates Thanksgiving with a turkey, and as I no longer eat poultry, I am wondering if I will leave the table feeling I have had a true meal. However, I think that the act of sitting down to eat a Thanksgiving dinner is a wonderful tradition. It shows how food, like in Italy, is more than just a simple way to feed yourself but rather a way for people to come together over a collective enjoyment of eating. We make the food with others  in mind on Thanksgiving and enjoy it together. 

Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato

Quinoa is a new grain that I recently tried at a pot-luck dinner. It is really tasty and extremely high in protein (with 11 grams of protein per cup), which is great for a vegetarian diet. It cooks similarly to risotto, couscous, or rice.  In general, I have found that grains and rice are really helpful when switching to a vegetarian diet. You can mix savory or sweet things into it and create a really wide variety of delicious foods! 

Here is a recipe that uses Quinoa and sweet potato (which is in season right now). I originally found the recipe on About.com: Vegetarian Food, a site that has some really nice vegetarian recipes and is easy to navigate. I stuck to the general recipe except I replaced cayanne pepper with red pepper flakes. I also added a vinegar-based dressing and pineapple to it for flavor. Let me know what you think!

Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato and Vinegar-based dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 4 cups vegetable broth (I use vegetable broth from Trader Joes. I am looking for some with less sodium) 
• 2 sweet potato, baked and diced
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple slices
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for salad dressing: 

• 1 tbsp. mustard 
• 3 tbsp. vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Simmer the quinoa in the vegetable broth about 10-15 minutes (read directions on the kind you buy), until water is gone. Quinoa should be light and fluffy when stirred. Remove from heat. 

Mix together quinoa, sweet potato and bell pepper. 

In a separate small bowl, mix together mustard, vinegar and lemon. Then whisk in olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Stir the dressing into the quinoa salad and enjoy!

For this week's assignment, I focused on a video found on NewYorkTimes.com entitled, "The Three Deli Men". The story is about Moby's Delicatessen in New York. The deli, which opened in 1962, is run by the original owner and his two sons. The video discusses the "fall of the Jewish deli" and changes in eating habits over the past 50 years. I chose this story for its use of characterization to discuss larger trends in food. The story represents food as a communal aspect, something that is based in history. By focusing on a character who has remained in place as American dietary habits have been culturally influenced, the story provides an interesting light on the larger idea of how we decide what to eat and base our decisions off of. In relation to my blog, it made me think about the importance of community and food and also the changing trends we go through as a culture. 

Here is the link to the website that the video is posted on. You can scroll down the sidebar to find the story entitled, "The Three Deli Men". 

http://video.on.nytimes.com/

Enjoy! 

Local Organizations Bettering Our Community!

Today is the General City Election for Ann Arbor, MI. The election had me thinking about the sense of agency we have as citizens within a community and our obligation to better the community through action. As students, we have the opportunity to create a difference in Ann Arbor through the numerous clubs and organizations that are offered to us. Although our time within Ann Arbor may be finite, we still have an opportunity to volunteer. Here are some interesting community organizations that offer volunteer opportunities pertaining to nutrition, sustainable agriculture and hunger:


Growing Hope
Mission:
Helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening and healthy food access. Growing Hope fosters learning, improves nutrition, encourages self-reliance, and promotes positive community futures.

-This is a Washtenaw-based organization that offers numerous volunteer positions and educational opportunites. Visit their website for more information.


Washtenaw County Head Start
Mission:
Project Head Start was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and educational needs.



Slow Food Huron Valley
Mission:
Slow Food Huron Valley is leading a food revolution through education. We identify culinary artisans and local producers who engage in sustainable agriculture and are committed to the viability of the land. By forming an educational network which connects producers to consumers, we will preserve and cultivate our culinary heritage and celebrate traditional Midwestern hospitality.

Visit their web site to find a list of local farmer markets



Food Gatherers
Ann Arbor based organization
Mission:
Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources.

Website provides national and local hunger statistics, links to other food advocacy groups and volunteering information.

To get more information on volunteering you can also call: (734) 761-2796 or eric@foodgatherers.com


Ann Arbor Woman’s Farm and Garden Association
Mission:
The Ann Arbor Branch, Woman’s National Farm & Garden Association, is dedicated to ensuring opportunities for women in horticulture and providing children an environment that is green and safe to learn from and to steward; our fundraising supports educational scholarships in horticulture and related areas and grants for community gardens that further our mission and goals.

Next event is the Greens Market on December 3rd, at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.



Project Grow
Mission:
Project Grow Community Gardens provides the space, education, and inspiration to make organic gardening accessible to all.

Project Grow offers classes, events and volunteer opportunities.

Link to their blog: http://a2projectgrow.blogspot.com/




These organizations offer a foot-in-the-door to someone looking to volunteer in community based projects that serve the local area.

Good Salad!

Rebecca's Fabulous Salad!


-spring mix
-4 raw mushrooms sliced
-half a red pepper
-half a handful of dried cherries
-one whole pear
-goat cheese
-1/4 avocado

dressing:
-3 parts olive oil
-1 part vinegar
-1 part mustard
-.5 part honey
-salt and pepper to taste


Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pledge

In my Introduction to Food for Thought, I pledged to be a vegetarian for 30-days. For a two years during high school I only ate fish, but this was my first experience being a lacto-ovo vegetarian (meaning you do not eat meat, fish or poultry). I made the pledge on PETA.com (PETA's blog) to not eat meat for thirty days. It has been 35 days and so-far an enjoyable experience.

I will be honest, I have slipped up three times. I ate a bite of meat-based lasagna- thank you Rebecca's Mom, a shrimp dumpling-thank you Rebecca, and a bite of pepperoni pizza-thank you Rebecca. However, outside of these extenuating circumstances, all at 2 in the morning, I have stuck to the vegetarian diet.

Eating vegetarian is very easy in college, especially when cooking for yourself. Meat expires quickly and is expensive. Plus, it takes time and some skill to cook. What I have found is when you go out to eat, it is harder to stick to the pledge. Some resturants and lunch places have great options, like Amers or Seva, but I have been surprised also. I went to Cafe Zola for a birthday dinner the other night and I was very surprised to find that they offered only 3 options for vegetarians.

During this time, I have reflected on the different reasons for being a vegetarian. For the purpose of this blog, it is largely based in eating locally and environmentally-friendly. Here is a link to a very beautifully written article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine about eating vegetarian that discusses behavior, attitude and facts about being vegetarian. The more I have read about factory farms, the more I hear about the incredible amount of pollution and emissions that they contribute.

When I first stopped eating meat in high school, it was about animal rights. I was unaware of the environmental impacts entirely, and it is not surprising that I was able to eat fish. Doing research about the environmental impacts has reminded me quickly of the animal rights aspect of eating-meat and the philosophical and ethical dilemmas.

My roommate on the other hand has become vegan for health reasons. She is into the notion that you are what you eat, and is talking about the way her body feels now that she has given up animal products.

Despite what your reason is for becoming vegetarian, I think it is an interesting experiment in your dietary habits and puts you in touch with your body. In the span of a month, I was able to get a good grasp on how behavior is linked to attitude. While this blog still won't be able promoting vegetarianism, I think it is a nice segway into a discussion about attitudes towards what we eat and our ability to make conscious decisions.

I am planning on continuing a lacto-ovan vegetarian diet for the rest of the semester and I will write about interesting recipes or information I come across.



A note about this blog: Up until now, my stories have been largely based in essay. I am going to try to start using more photos and video to hopefully create a more enjoyable experience!

Eat This, Not That!!!!

Agenda Setting Theory:
The media is not always successful at telling us what to think, but they are quite successful at telling us what to think about.

I just asked the girl sitting next to me: what do you think the biggest national issue is right now? She answered without hesitation, health care. Now, if you go to the main page of USA Today or New York Times, the health care headline will be linked to an article, videos, pictures, a discussion board etc. We as consumers take the multiple forms and high amount of coverage and think, “okay, health care is important”.

How does agenda setting apply to food? I believe it presents insight into consumer behavior and why we make the decisions when purchasing and eating food.

Before coming to college, I bought a book called, “Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide”. The book basically provides suggestions for piecing through the hell they call “Meijer”. My favorite part of the book is an index at the end telling you what various ingredients on a label are, such as:

-Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil: a.k.a. manufactured fat or trans fat)
-Aspartame: near-zero-calorie artificial sweetener…think Equal…that has been reported to cause neurological symptoms
-High-Fructose Corn Syrup: corn-derived sweetener. The increased use of HFCS has been linked to a steady increase in obesity since its introduction in 1980.

But I am guessing you have already heard about the controversy surrounding these ingredients.

So, okay, we know from media reports not to eat HFCS or PHVO. But, the other day I faced a dilemma when deciding to buy regular chocolate ice cream versus low-fat chocolate ice cream by the same company; I first chose the low fat because it had less trans-fat. But then, I realized the low-fat ice cream has corn syrup and dextrose the regular ice cream did not.

The more I read labels and compare them to claims on the box, the more it becomes apparent that marketing is manipulating the news we receive about eating healthy to sell more products. Yes, fiber is good for you, but are we really trying to sell Fruit Loops as healthy cereal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXwsXtRqTY4

But it seems the more news about fiber, the more products are saying they have it.

And who can forget the Atkins diet. When the Atkins book hit the New York Times Best-sellers list, suddenly low-carb beer was on the market and even low-carb bread. And suddenly, eating steak 7 nights a week was better than eating a bowl of spaghetti… I feel there is a correlation between the Atkins diet telling us to eat meat, which can clog our arteries, and marketers using the all the recent news about the benefits of fiber to get mothers to feed their children Fruit Loops.

The Food Issue of the Sunday New York Times Magazine was a much-needed relief to this marketing mess. The articles discussed meat, benefits of eating less, how to enjoy food for what it is (ice cream is ice cream and it is not good for you, but that’s okay in moderation) and the social issues that are linked to our dietary habits.

Just as you are told what to think about national issues by our media, our marketers tell us what to think about food. The best advice I have read for buying food is to read the labels. If there is too many ingredients that sound like a chemical lab and really high percentages in the nutritional information, don’t buy it.

New York Times Sunday Magazine- 2009 Food Edition!

Today's New York Times Sunday Magazine is the 2009 Food Issue. The magazine has some really interesting articles addressing dietary concerns, national eating habits, being vegetarian, and calorie counting. The articles are very relevant and informative so anyone interested should check it out.

The online version has interactive features as well, including: Food Do's and Dont's sent in by Times readers and compiled by Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and guest author to this edition of the magazine); recipes; a pod-cast about eating in the office; and an archive from the 2008 Food edition of New York Times Magazine.

Here is a link to the main page: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html

One Question I Would Have Asked Vincent Duffy, But Did Not

Do you think that the shift in the structure of journalism due to new media, for example the ability to connect with audience, will change the role of the journalist as an agenda setter? Do you think the news will start to be more about deviant and socially significant topics as opposed to what journalists believe should be read?

Live Blog- Round 2

Vincent Duffy's presentation has shifted to discussing the positives and negatives of new media. As mentioned in my previous post, a large downfall of new media is the overworking of journalists and raised expectations to work in multiple mediums and produce almost twice the work.
The positives of new media, on the other hand, are things such everything being archived and ability to connect with the audience. I noticed that the positives of new media are largely based on benefits for the consumer and increased audience demand and control.

Another interesting point during this discussion of positive and negative consequences of new media, was the question of who is the news media? An example Vincent gave was the death of Michael Jackson and how TMZ was the first "news" outlet to report on this. Is TMZ news or a gossip website? I also thought it was interesting that as News Director, Vincent said he would post a story after CNN has becuase he believs it is a credible source without double checking the source.

Live Blog

Vincent Duffy, from Michigan Radio, is in class today speaking about changes going on in the world of journalism.

He began class by showing us a video by Chris Rawlinson called "Did You Know?". This video laid out over 5 minutes of shocking facts concerning the internet, increased population, amount of information circulating throughout society and changes in our lifestyle due to the internet.

After the video, which certainly got me thinking about what the future of journalism, Vincent broke down some statistics even further. One statistic was in the past year, from September 2008- September 2009, 350,885 journalist positions have been lost in the US.

While Vincent works for Michigan Radio, an National Public Radio, affiliate, he explained how journalists are increasingly using multiple mediums to present stories. A typical process for a journalist now includes going on cite, getting audio, taking pictures (soon they will start taking videos), going back to the station, editing the text, editing the audio, editing the video.

Vegetarian Recipes

Since I started this blog, I have been trying to keep vegetarian. To be honest, I have had two slip-ups so far, but both were free food and eaten in a very small portions. What I have found is that you have to think a little bit harder about your next meal and try to incorporate protein. Some good sources of protein are beans, peanut butter and soy products.
Here are some good vegetarian recipes that I would like to share:

Vegetarian Black Beans

-1/2- 1 medium onion (depending on preference), chopped
-2 tbsp. olive oil
-3 tbsp. tomato paste
-16 oz. canned black beans (2 regular size cans)
-2 tbsp. cumin

1. Heat the olive oil and onions in a saucepan until the onions slightly brown.
2. Add the tomato paste and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the cumin and stir.
4. Drain 2/3 of the liquid from the black beans and place aside. Mix the beans in with onions.
5. Let sit for 30 minutes, occasionally adding bean liquid if the sauce becomes too thick.


This recipe is very cheap to make and can be done while you are doing some other task around the house. I have been eating it with brown rice, salsa, hot sauce and chips in a bowl. It has a lot of protein, which is good if you are trying to eat vegetarian. Try to buy low-sodium beans to avoid having too much salt. This recipe serves about 5 people if mixed with rice, or you can save it for a few days and eat it throughout the week.


Vegan "Bolognese" Tomato Sauce

-1/2 cup crumbled soy meat
-1/2 jar tomato sauce, any flavor
-1 pepper, any color, chopped
-1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
-2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Put olive oil and soy meat (defrosted) into a medium sauce pan. Stir for 3 minutes, until hot.
2. Add tomato sauce, pepper, and mushrooms.
3. Let stew for 25 minutes.

This sauce is really easy to make and tastes just like real meat sauce. This is a really simple recipe and you can add other ingredients to your liking, but I have found these flavors work really well together. While this recipe is not very inventive, it shows how easy it is to make alternatives to meat if you are craving it. You can also make large batches of it and freeze so that you can eat it over time.

To get hold of soy meat, I have found that Trader Joes has the best and least expensive options. They sell Soy Chorizo that is very good for making chili and spaghetti sauce with. They have all types of frozen alternatives and specialized ingredients, but check the labels. A lot of the frozen vegetarian entrees and ingredients are very high in sodium and some have a pretty high amount of saturated fat. Trader Joes is located on East Stadium, right off of Washtenaw Ave.

Both of these recipes are meant to be easy, pretty foolproof and flavorful. If you have any additions please comment!

Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics

1. To be objective when reporting and present stories that are well researched and take time to understand the multiple layers and opinions that effect a story.

2. To report on issues that I believe are of interest and more importantly issues that effect my readers, to further their understanding of issues surrounding their lives. When choosing what information I present, think about journalism as a key in democracy.

3. To be mindful and delicate when reporting to minimize harm to both readers and people involved in the story.

4. To not skew the truth to appeal to my own interests or the interests of others.

A Low-Carb(on) Beer Diet?!

This past Thursday, The Washington Post online responded to a reader’s question:

Q I'm hosting a dinner party next week, and I'll be serving both beer and wine alongside the meal. Which has the lower carbon footprint?

I was initially surprised to find this article in The Washington Post but soon realized that drinking does not begin-and-end in college and if there is a trend to cater diets to low-carbon alternatives, why not change drinking styles too?

The article outlines a number of suggestions for a sustainable and earth-friendly party (using research largely from U.K.-based Food Climate Research Network). Some highlights are:

• There is no significance difference in the GHG emissions from beer, wine and spirits
• Bottles vs. Cans: choose glass for beer brewed locally and aluminum for beer drafted further away
• Organic barley draft significantly produces less GHG’s in its production and assembly
• Strong beers and standard ales do not require as much, if any, refrigeration, which contributes to 1/3 of the beer industries GHG emissions
• When choosing a wine, the bigger the bottle the better. Choose larger bottles or “lighweight” bottles that require less glass… boxes are even more eco-friendly—this means Franzia is good for the environment as long as you recycle the box when you are done slapping the bag!
• Wine bottles are heavy and more carbon intensive to distribute, so drink local wine over local beer

As consumers, it seems we have certain choices when purchasing beer and wine to limit our carbon footprint. On a local level, the Arbor Brewing Company brews 13 beers and sells their products at a number of locations in Ann Arbor. To get locally produced 6-packs, cases, growlers and kegs you can call 734-480-BREW.

In addition to consumer choices that reduce GHG emissions, being a college-student at the University of Michigan offers a unique opportunity to save money and clean up the environment. Under the Michigan Beverage Container Act implemented in 1978, Michigan has the highest bottle return rate at 10 cents a bottle. In effect, Michigan has the highest recycling rate.

So not only are we in Michigan, we are furthermore college students in Michigan. College students consume roughly four billion cans of beer a year… scary? If it is being put in a landfill, then it certainly is. If it can return $400,000,000 to college students annually, it just makes sense to capitalize on this waste and start returning your cans and bottles to pay for your next party. When you get wasted, don’t waste the waste!

The discussion of drinking and its carbon-footprint speaks to a growing social awareness of our daily lives and how we impact the environment through little decisions such as Busch Light versus Natural Ice (Natural Ice w. higher alcohol content would hopefully use less cans and save money). The very fact that The Washington Post reader asked about sustainable drinking shows people are not only listening to but also actively seeking information on how to be a more mindful consumer. Similarly, when I went to check out The Omnivore’s Dilemma at the Undergraduate Library, 5 of the 6 copies were checked out. Later that day, I saw a nurse at UHS reading one of the copies and discussing it with another nurse.

I wonder if the reader who inquired about the drinks to serve at her party took other factors into consideration, such as serving meat. An article on PlanetGreen.com showed that a full vegetarian diet could reduce your carbon emissions 1 ton annually, reducing your carbon footprint from 2.5 to 1.5 tons a year. This means no meat, poultry, or fish but you can eat eggs and dairy products (a.k.a. a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet). However, this reduction makes the choice between wine and beer seem a little trivial.

However, the article went on to explain that .7 tons of GHG emission (how much you save being a weekday vegetarian) is equal to about one flight from Boston, Massachusetts to Wichita, Kansas… So, a year of being a vegetarian saves a little bit more GHG emissions than a flight in the same time zone?

My intention in breaking down these numbers is, of course, not to discredit being a vegetarian or to keep people confined to Boston, but rather to illustrate the different kinds of action that can be taken to prevent global change. And it is not always the largest contributors to global change that are the most important to tackle. The road to environmental change lies in a complicated web of how people consume, what they consume, how much people consume, and if they are willing and able to change their lifestyle choices. When viewed this way, it seems that knowledge and spread of information is the key to affecting how we treat our earth.

Introduction to Food For Thought

Over the summer I went to see Food Inc., a national documentary exploiting the food industry’s contribution to various health, government, environmental and ultimately ethical issues. Food Inc. employs personal narratives alongside shocking statistics and facts to expose the discrepancy between the food we consume and the truth behind its production. While many of the statistics and stories were new to me, the documentary’s b-roll was in true PETA tradition. The documentary floods viewers with images of slaughter, filthy conditions, exploited workers from impoverished areas, all contrasted to images of open plains and independent ranchers. The food industry’s character is painted vividly and made all the more grotesque by its access to technological innovation, embodiment of mass production and backing by corrupt legislation. It was no wonder that upon leaving the theater, I felt I was walking out of the dark and seeing the light for the first time… or was it the first time?

Six years ago, my sophomore year in high school, an animal rights activist in my T.V. Production course showed me a documentary called Delicacy of Despair by an organization called Gourmet Cruelty. The video discussed foie gras, or duck liver, that is made from a duck who has been specially fattened through forced feeding. After viewing the final scene of the documentary, where a group of ducks are rescued, I asked the student how he did not get in trouble for participating in stealing the ducks, even though his face was shown multiple times. He told me that the factory they rescued, or stole, ducks from did not want to admit it was their farm due to the dire conditions shown on the film. This introduction to the mass production of meat was an introduction into what has become an interest in not only food but also issues of environment, labor rights, poverty and legislation. Among the oldest concerns of life lies food, so it is no wonder food has become a source of political debate and societal concern. If we are what we eat, what have we become?

Food Inc. is among many examples citing the increased interest people have in answering this question. Eric Schlosser, who co-produced Food Inc., is also writer who has contributed to Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. In 2001 he released his book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, a look into the fast-food industry, through topics such as marketing, obesity, farming and slaughterhouses. The book has since been placed on the New York Times Best-Sellers List and turned into major motion film. Food Inc. also features Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma which has been named one of the ten best books of the year by both the New York Times and the Washington Post. Pollan and Schlosser, both investigative journalists, understood and capitalized among this growing interest in the source of our food and it’s various consequences. Similarly, Michelle Obama recently started a vegetable garden on the White House’s south lawn to promote buying sustainable and local produce. Marie Claire featured an article called, “The Girl’s Guide to Eating Green” in their last issue. The New Republic’s cover story, “Aquacalypse Now: The End of Fish” discusses the decline of fish populations.

If the median is a message in itself, the increase of literature, film, news coverage, and celebrity statements concerning food attests to the importance of examining what we eat from a critical lens. My interest in food has led me through many stages, from being a vegetarian to eating tripe… I have been a pesca-tarian, poultry-tarian, back to vegetarian, stopped eating only pork, eaten bacon only when in Georgia, only eaten meat my Dad will cook, and so forth. And, this was before the green, organic movement. I have since supported and protested Whole Foods. I have shopped at produce stations but cursed them for their expensive prices. I have gone from eating eggs, to only eating free-range eggs, to eating only vegetarian-fed, free-range eggs, to not caring because I am in college and don’t have money or time to think that much about eggs…The more I learn it seems that my preference is no longer about just being "picky”, but about politics.

Throughout the course of the semester I hope to examine the various topical issues associated with our food system through research, interviews, and ultimately experience. My first experience comes from PETA’s website where I pledged to be a vegetarian for at least 30 days. I will try to be as honest as possible and also provide recipes, resources and advice that I receive during this time.

**Note to readers: I will create links to various videos and articles when I learn how to. Thank you for your patience!