As the winter rain makes campus bloom with more green, Westmonters on the DC meal plan will notice some green changes as well, starting Feb. 12. Westmont’s Sustainability Team, including coordinator, Janell Balmaceda, and intern Katie Knapp, have been hard at work developing this year’s spring initiative, “Eat Wise, Meat-Wise,” which focuses on the benefits in which eating less meat can have on health and the environment. I spoke with Katie Knapp about the plan and vision for this upcoming initiative.
On the week of Feb. 12, green plates will be placed in the DC alongside the regular white plates, for a cause. The plates represent a pledge to eat a meatless meal, and aim to inspire other DC goers to try it as well. Knapp asserted that students can pledge to eat a plant based meal “X amount of times, could be one, could be three” for the week and then use the green plates to show their commitment with a “visual reminder.” She hopes the Green Plate Pledge will inspire students to make choices during mealtime based on “nutritional and environmental information,” rather than what looks the most appetizing, or inspire them to discover perhaps they eat more plant-based than they realize. Knapp also plans to have a list of the plant based options in the DC for the week so students can easily know what meals would fulfill the meatless pledge. The team is also actively working with the chefs to incorporate more plant-based meals.
Knapp and Balmaceda, along with Students for Sustainability, will also be tabling outside the DC that week during lunch to provide more information related to their “Eat Wise, Meat-Wise” initiative and plant-based eating.
Along with the Green Plate Pledge, the spring initiative includes a Blue Owl cooking class in the GLC Feb. 22 at 5 p.m., a panel discussion, a showing of the documentary “Food Inc” in Adams 216 Feb. 29 at 7 p.m., and a panel discussion on outcomes of diets in Founders March 4 at 12:40 p.m..
Stay tuned for these upcoming events, and be encouraged to take part in the effort to stand with these steps taken towards a more sustainable Westmont, and to support the health of the earth and the body.
