Collegiate Vegans Rejoice!
Not only is PETA here to throw red paint on that fur jacket, they’re also here to help out nerdy vegans across the country! Peta2, the more vegan version of PETA, advocates against using animals “to eat wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way” has just released their 2017 Vegan Report Card. The Vegan Report Card shows which universities have the best options for vegan students rating from A+ “Vegan Friendly” to F “Few Vegan Options”. Peta2 notes that healthy eating and veganism has exploded over the past few months. This has led more universities to add healthier options as well as vegan-friendly options on their campuses. Even if you’re not in college yet, make sure to check out your prospective campus
How did Drexel DU?
Out of the eight local schools listed, Drexel University rated about average, scoring a B for having at least one vegan entree for every meal, non-dairy milk provided, labeling vegan entrees/desserts, and promoting vegan options. Drexel missed out on a few areas, most notably the lack of vegan representation on the student advisory board and no participation in Meatless Mondays, an increasingly common practice in schools.
As a Drexel student, I’ve found that the majority of non-freshmen do not eat on campus or use campus dining dollars. I think this began because our dining hall was not superb during freshman year so we all found our own habits to stick to the following years, whether that be Chipotle all day er’y day or cooking at home. I have enjoyed the Green Street salad bar at the Urban Eatery, though it’s just as pricey but not as fresh as some of the other local salad chains. Overall, I’d say that being a vegan on campus isn’t difficult, but that is mainly because the City of Philadelphia is so abundant in food options. Some close to campus places that are easy to veganize are Fuel, Chipotle, Blaze, and CoZara! Just a short walk over to UPenn is HipCityVeg aka the motherland of millennial Philadelphia vegans!
The Best Vegan School in Philly
University of Pennsylvania was the highest rated Philly school, receiving an A for vegan friendliness. Highlights of UPenn’s vegan friendliness including having a vegan member on their student advisory board and having an all-vegan station on campus! Chestnut Hill College was the lowest rated Philly school, receiving a F for vegan friendliness, their only attribute is labelling vegan entrees! Other Philly schools such as St. Joe’s, University of the Arts, Temple, and Villanova all received B’s for vegan friendliness.
Unhappy with your options?
If you want more vegan friendly on your campus, SPEAK UP! Many students still pay thousands for their meal plans only to be disappointed because their dining hall doesn’t have gluten-free bread or nut-free cookies. Don’t be afraid to seek out your campus advisory board or talk directly to the management in your dining hall about your concerns. If you’re vegan, Peta2 provides a bunch of free tools to help convince your school to veganize. Make sure to check out the Peta2 Report Card to see how other schools did and to write a review for your own school!