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 | | photo by Mette Finderup | Speak Up and They Will Listen: How One Student Got Vegetarian Options
for All
Everglades High School, Florida
By Lindsey Middendorf
Dandelions Unlimited Intern
Western Washington University
Ashley Capps, a student at Everglades High School in Florida, knows the power of voicing her opinion. She was upset about the lack of vegetarian options in her high school lunch line, and instead of just accepting it and packing her own lunch every day, she took matters into her own hands. Capps wrote a petition to get vegetarian options in the lunch room, and attached a letter that explained why she thought the school should provide vegetarian options. She also wrote a letter to the county Food and Health Services about the benefits of a vegetarian diet. Students took to her idea, and Capps got over 300 signatures on the petition. The School District agreed, and now vegetarian options such as gardenburgers and vegetarian chili are offered in one high school, middle school, and elementary school in the district, with plans of adding the veggie-friendly entrées to other schools.
Capps’ story shows that just one student’s voice is enough to make a difference! She encourages others to stand up for their beliefs: “If you want to get something done and to do something good then you shouldn't let anything stop you. You really can make a difference.” (3) Not only did the Broward County School District hear the student voice, they took students’ personal opinions to heart. They kicked off the new lunch items by holding taste-testing parties where students could sample the new healthy gardenburgers for free. The taste-testing parties not only gave vegetarians a chance to sample their new grub, they also encouraged meat eaters to try a tasty non-meat entrée, maybe even showing them that vegetarianism isn’t all that bad. According to a Press Release by the Broward County School District, the vegetarian alternatives are part of district’s effort to “provide healthy food options to students.” (1) Ashley Capps, in an interview by the local news, said she wanted the school to offer the new lunch items not only for vegetarians, but to give other students a healthier option for lunch. (2) When asked about student’s reactions to the vegetarian options, she said “A lot of the students really like it” (3), showing that one person really can make a difference. Way to go, Ashley!
1- http://www.browardschools.com/press/release.asp?press_id=645
2- http://video.aol.com/video-detail/veggie-burgers-headed-to-some-broward-schools/3804297714
3- http://blog.peta2.com/ashley_capps/
Resources
Everglades High School
Broward County School District
Video: Veggie Burgers Headed to Some Broward Schools
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