Students fight back against beef ban at Fling

By David Altschuler

Spring Fling will remain beef-free this year, after pro-red meat Yale College Council members failed to garner sufficient support for a resolution to reverse the ban before a Mon., Apr. 14, deadline.

The YCC reconsidered the beef and pork ban at an open meeting on Sun., Apr. 13, amidst vocal student dissent about the policy. However, without a resolution signed by eight YCC representatives or two-thirds of any YCC sub-committee, the ban could not be lifted.

Nevertheless, pro-beef students continue their efforts to bring red meat to the Fling. Pierson College Council member Dean Joelson, PC '97, said that their council has contacted two beef industry groups about donating beef for the event. Since YCC policy only affects YUDH services, only sponsorship and liability issues stand in the way of a Pierson-operated beef barbecue.

Joelson said that while YSEC's intentions are good, the YCC's policy is simply unfair. "[YSEC and the YCC] have a legitimate agenda. The problem we have with [the YCC's ban] is that it's a heavy handed dictatorial way of doing things. I don't think they have the right to take away [the] choice [to eat beef]," he said.

Peter Dziedzic, ES '99, organizer of a student group to promote meat, agreed that the YCC's decision alienated beef-eating students. "This is the only all-campus outside event--YCC is saying if you want to eat beef, go somewhere else. It's segregating the event," he said. His group, the Yale Carnivore Council, will offer a free barbecue next week on Cross Campus with burgers supplied by Yankee Doodle.

In addition, YCC members confirmed the possibility that a student group might sponsor the Oscar Meyer "Weinermobile" to pass out free hot dogs. They said that the YCC will need to have some control over the hot dog truck, but will not seek out Oscar Meyer for the event. "We definitely won't be the ones asking the Oscar Meyer people to come here," YCC vice-president Preston Hopson, SM '98, said.

Fling legend Yankee Doodle will hold its annual burger contest at the Fling. "I'm all for burgers. I know you don't go to a barbecue to eat bean sprouts," Doodle owner Lou Beckwith said.

YSEC co-chair Miguel Melendez, ES '98, said that he was surprised by student reaction to a practice simply continued from last year. "[The ban] has been presented in a strange way" by the campus press. "People didn't understand why it was being done, and that it was just a continuation of last year," he said. Melendez stressed that the idea behind the ban is to raise awareness about the impact of everyday actions on the environment. YSEC sponsors Fling because of the festival's ties to Earth Day.

YCC President Tyson Belanger, ES '98, added that if the YCC had expected such a negative reaction, they might have voted differently. "I think the council would be more reluctant to pass the [beef ban]. It was not meant to be a political issue," he said. However, Belanger supports YCC's attempt to back YSEC. "YCC should attempt to raise people's consciousness and be a leadership organization on campus," he said.

YCC secretary Fiona Goodwillie, MC '98, is confident that people would support the ban if they looked at the issues behind it. "It's not a moral judgment on people who eat meat. I'm surprised that people wouldn't be able to give it up for one day," she said.

Not all students are against a day without beef. One freshman applauded the decision to keep the event free of red meat. "Why isn't the Spring Fling a good place to make a statement? They had no burgers last year and nobody said boo, but when it became a statement, everyone went nuts. It really seems like an non-issue to me. I'm a fervent meat eater and one day off isn't going to kill me," Noah Mamber, SM '00, said. Back to News...