Lone vegan student works to get vegan options on campus- and it pays off!

Because of the efforts of a single vegan student, the University of Manchester is now offering a vegan menu in it’s dining halls. While vegan food in a college doesn’t seem like big news, it’s awesome to watch young vegan activists and youth fight for their own rights, and the rights of animals everywhere. Aless Donebauer, 18, is a mathematics student at the University. “Hopefully the new menus will help educate people as to how veganism is great for not just the animals, but also the environment and our health,” she told the Mirror, “I would love it if we could show people how easy it is to make the switch and convince them to give it a go.”

Donebauer cited sustainability and ethics when she took her ideas for a vegan menu to the dining team and won a small victory for herself and future campus vegans. Miles Kitchiner, the head of catering, says that the new menus are very successful. “It’s been very well received that we’re providing the choice and the variety to all students. We’ve found that non-vegan people are also enjoying the dishes, so it’s a win-win.”

Kudos to Donebauer. It looks like her efforts have really paid off, and started up a wonderful new trend on campus. With more vegans going to college every year, I’m sure this kind of advocacy is something we’ll be seeing more and more of.