Our Hen House

Join the Club — Advocating for Animals on College Campuses

Posted on 30. Jun, 2011 by Nick Laccetti in Class Act

When I went to school as an undergraduate in New York (at The New School — the perfect place if you prefer reading and good class discussion to sports and any kind of normal social interaction), you would have been hard-pressed to convince me to join a school club. Ever since high school, I’ve had the impression that official school clubs were the last places to be if you were interested in pursuing authentic change.

Start an animal rights club at your school.

I’m here to admit that I was wrong, and to argue for the importance of college clubs, especially those devoted to animal rights. In fact, I will now boldly (and vehemently) recommend that any college-going animal activist should definitely support their school’s club, or think about starting one if none currently exist.

According to Lib Now! (“the worldwide blog for critical animal studies and college animal rights activism”), college groups can be an amazing way to advocate for animal issues on campus, especially since they present the opportunity to obtain and utilize built-in funds for officially sanctioned college clubs. At Hunter College in New York City, the official animal rights club, Path to Animal Liberation (PAL), receives $1,000 annually for their activities. Um, $1,000? What animal rights group wouldn’t want to access that kind of money for its cause? The last I checked, that gets you a lot of vegan pizza, leaflets, or funds to fly in some excellent speakers from the world of AR.

According to the Lib Now! article, Hunter College’s PAL group has “organized numerous film screenings, hosted guest speakers, distributed free vegan food samples to students and faculty, conducted public vegan cooking demonstrations, set up outreach tables on an average of twice per month, and cultivated a mailing list of over 200 people.” Additionally, PAL made significant steps toward veganizing their campus, including bringing vegan meals to the cafeteria three days a week. A college cafeteria menu with actual vegan items on it?! Big leap from the white rice with a side of a plain potato that so many of us cafeteria-frequenters are used to.

Another campus group that is taking great strides toward a better world for animals is New York University’s Cruelty-Free NYU, which went from a nearly inactive student club to a bustling hub of animal activism over the course of only one semester. Most of this success is due to the leadership of club president, Marguerite Campbell, a soon-to-be Senior, who is just as impressive an animal activist outside of school (and, in interest of full disclosure, a fantastic friend). I asked Marguerite a few questions about her experiences with animal activism in a campus setting.

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Our Hen House: Was it difficult to turn the club around from an inactive to an active group? What was the bureaucracy like?

Marguerite Campbell: It was initially a struggle to get CFNYU up and running again. I had to learn the ropes of NYU’s club system, including things like funding, programming, and reserving space. But once I had that down, NYU had a very supportive community of like-minded folks and we were able to get quite a few events off the ground! I’m not sure about other schools, but at NYU, forms and other kinds of approval need to go through three different departments, which can take a good chunk of time. However, once I had familiarity with the process, it was relatively easy to explain to the club’s officers.

OHH: What are the advantages to having a campus animal rights club that is officially recognized by the school’s administration?

MC: It’s absolutely fantastic having an official cruelty-free club. This grants us access to amazing spaces and a considerable amount of funding to put on lots of great programs. For example, I had been leafleting with Vegan Outreach a few times before at NYU, out on the sidewalk. Those experiences were awful! For some reason, the “take rate”  of leaflets is very low in that area. But the club has since organized tablings inside NYU’s Kimmel Center, in collaboration with Vegan Outreach, Farm Sanctuary and others, and just by virtue of being seen as legitimate by students, we were able to pass out much more information, and free vegan food!

OHH: What sort of events has Cruelty-Free NYU done in the past year?

MC: Well, we kicked off the year with an awesome Bold Native screening, which writer and director Denis Hennelly and producer Casey Suchan were able to attend. That event set a great tone for the rest of the semester. We had tablings and bake sales with Vegan Outreach, Farm Sanctuary, and Darwin Animal Doctors. Mercy for Animals brought their amazing “Pay Per View” program to NYU with the new film Farm to Fridge. Then, the club hosted an array of great speakers within the animal rights movement, including an invaluable “Know Your Rights” Training with lawyer Bina Ahmad, an inspiring talk with Vaute Couture founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, who shared her amazing vegan fashion story with the club, and an appearance by activist Andy Stepanian, who spoke about his experiences being  part of the SHAC7 case, and told us about his new project, Sparrow Media.

OHH: What has been the most effective advocacy you’ve done with the club?

MC: I think the most effective advocacy we’ve done this semester has been sharing information about factory farming with the students. The club, along with our activist connections, have passed out 2,000 leaflets over the course of the semester, focusing on the abuse suffered by animals on factory farms. Countless students have returned to our tablings to inform us they chose a veggie burger or salad for lunch because of the leaflet they received. It’s so fulfilling to see results like that, because we know we’ve made a difference for the animals.

OHH: What events do you plan on doing in the future?

MC: Next year, we will continue to spread the word to our fellow students about the horrors of factory farming, put on some film screenings, bake sales, and cooking demonstrations, and hopefully begin a dining hall campaign to make the cafeteria more vegan-friendly!

OHH: Do you have any advice for students who want to start an animal rights club at their own school?

MC: Absolutely I do! Firstly, this is a lot of work. Like really a lot. So gather a great group of club members and club officers who are committed, supportive, and enthusiastic. I do think it is important to obtain commitments from those involved, so everything runs smoothly. Then it won’t seem like work anymore, and you’ll be able to build a strong community. Secondly, be in constant contact with your club adviser. They almost always know the answer to every question you might have, and if they don’t, they will know who to ask. Additionally, it is always a good idea to be in contact with whatever other departments your school may have that regulates various aspects of club activities, to confirm the instructions your adviser gives you. This will help you to plan ahead for potential roadblocks so your events won’t be hindered by last minute hiccups (I’ve had plenty of hiccups and they always come down to departmental conflicts)! Lastly, be excited. Having a club dedicated to helping animals provides an amazing platform for truly valuable activism. You’ll be reaching a most receptive audience — young people open to new ideas — and you’ll be provided with funding and space! That foundation, plus a group of dedicated club members, is all you need to be able to effect all kinds of awesome change.

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So there you have it: if you’re a college student, seriously consider joining your university’s animal rights club. If none exist, there’s no time like the present to create a club for your school. Both Farm Sanctuary and PETA have resources to help you with the process, and tips for your new club’s activities. And hey, with the economy the way it is, that $1,000 your college gives you for your officially sanctioned club is probably the most money you’ll make for a while. I jest, I jest…