By Mitch Blomert
A national leader for the study of race relations in sports spoke at the University of Georgia Wednesday, encouraging students to be the difference-maker in the eradication of racism in the nation.
Dr. Richard Lapchick, director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, discussed the history and solutions to racism in sports and in general life as part of the 2010 Clifford Lewis Lecture titled “Sport: A Bridge Across the Racial Divide,” at Masters Hall in the Georgia Center.
Lapchick, son of Boston Celtics center and former New York Knicks head coach Joe Lapchick, discussed the race issues his father faced as a National Basketball Association Coach, then the hatred he received himself when he became the American leader of a sports boycott in South Africa during apartheid.
Lapchick also explained how sports acted as a commonplace of people, where racism and hatred often subsided in favor of competition, as it did at a Virginia Tech baseball game following the shootings that killed 32 people on campus in 2007 and in February’s Super Bowl XLIV, which “elevated spirits like nothing else possibly could.”
“Something about sport makes it different,” Lapchick said.
Lapchick emphasized that the current generation of college students are tomorrow’s leaders, and can continue the stand against racism that Lapchick and his father started in sports.
“My father’s generation developed integration of basketball,” he said. “You can be the difference. That’s why I started to talk to student audiences—about passing the torch to you.”
Lapchick also recollected his time with long-time Grambling State University football coach Eddie Robinson, whom he co-wrote the book Never Before, Never Again with in 1999. He described Robinson and highly influential in integrating sports by display kind acts to his wife in front of his players.
“He always had dinner with his wife and held her hand, which he showed to his players,” Lapchick said.
When Lapchick isn’t speaking the colleges across the country or managing the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at Central Florida, he is also part of the Hope For Stanley Foundation, which promotes diversity and ethics in sports and releases an annual report card that tracks the long-term trends of diversity in coach and management.
Lapchick stated that current racial statistics among NCAA Division-I coaches is 91-percent white among men’s sports and 90-percent among women’s sports. However, he also noted that the Georgia is the first school to hire a black Athletic Director when they appointed Damon Evans to the position in 2003.
Lapchick, who received his Ph.D. in international race relations from the University of Denver in 1973, also founded the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University in 1984. He is also a frequent columnist for ESPN.com and the Orlando Sentinel, with over 500 columns published. He is also one of only 200 guests to former South African president Nelson Mandela’s inauguration in 1994.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
There’s Something About Sports. - Holly Hess
Like any other dreary day in Athens, students walked about campus covered in rain coats and boasting their umbrellas. UGA’s Georgia Center was unusually crowded with students in the lobby, all drifting towards the tables of exquisitely prepared free food. Comments of approval could be heard pertaining to the teriyaki chicken and freshly made fruit punch. Students of all types gathered at 4 p.m. to hear a lecture titled: 'Sport: A Bridge Across the Racial Divide.’ As part of the Clifford Lewis Lecture series, Dr. Richard Lapchick came to share his expertise on sports issue sand racial inequalities within sports. Brendan Cosgrove, a junior broadcast news major commented on the issue at hand: “I’m fascinated by the racial dynamics in sports, especially the NBA. I’m interested to see what a professional’s take on the situation is.”
“Nigger lover, nigger lover” were some of the first words Lapchick heard describing his dad when he was only five years old. This was about the same time his love of basketball took hold. In 1950, Lapchick’s father, coach of the New York Knicks, signed three African -American players to his team making them the first team to sign athletes of color. After this incident, Lapchick moved with his mother and sister to Europe for a few years where they visited a Nazi concentration camp, a crucial point in his life. Somberly recalling that time, he mentioned, “I was never the same.” After seeing the cruelty of human kind, he went to Rome and saw how people from all over the world would join together because of one thing- sports. Lapchick quickly realized the avenue he needed to go through to bring all walks of life together. Instead of pursuing his love for basketball as a player, he became an expert on sports issues and a pioneer for racial equality through the use of sports.
“Everyone has a problem you don’t know about” is how he explained many of the tragedies mentioned. He took the audience back to a time in his daughter’s life when tragic incidents were happening daily. A close friend to the Lapchick’s family tied his own two kids to the car seat and waited to pull onto the interstate until a tractor-trailer came, ultimately killing himself and his own two children. Paired with this was a classmate’s suicide, a teacher’s death, an attempted murder, and a close friend’s father committing suicide into oncoming traffic. Not to mention the beginning of the week when his daughter was almost kidnapped by a naked man in a car. The crowd was heavy and somber after all of these horrible stories. But Lapchick’s point was simply this: there’s always going to be bad in the world. Everyone has power to influence, but how will we choose to use it?
Speaking as a writer for ESPN.com, creator of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida and the founder of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, Lapchick provided the audience hard evidence of white dominance behind the African-American athletes in the NBA. An astounding 91 percent of Division 1 basketball coaches are Caucasian males. Dissecting the different percentages between Caucasian and African-American coaches as well as the male to female coaches was mind boggling. Lapchick’s passion for finding equality in all areas of life was obvious.
“There’s something about sports” was repeated many times by Lapchick. He also made it clear many good people out there are doing things to help the world, specifically with regards to racial equality. However, he charged the students with, “Will it end, how will it end, and if it’s gonna end, what are you gonna do to help it?” Upon concluding his insight and opinions about racial discrimination, the audience appeared supportive of Lapchick’s lecture by giving him a warm, closing applause.
“Nigger lover, nigger lover” were some of the first words Lapchick heard describing his dad when he was only five years old. This was about the same time his love of basketball took hold. In 1950, Lapchick’s father, coach of the New York Knicks, signed three African -American players to his team making them the first team to sign athletes of color. After this incident, Lapchick moved with his mother and sister to Europe for a few years where they visited a Nazi concentration camp, a crucial point in his life. Somberly recalling that time, he mentioned, “I was never the same.” After seeing the cruelty of human kind, he went to Rome and saw how people from all over the world would join together because of one thing- sports. Lapchick quickly realized the avenue he needed to go through to bring all walks of life together. Instead of pursuing his love for basketball as a player, he became an expert on sports issues and a pioneer for racial equality through the use of sports.
“Everyone has a problem you don’t know about” is how he explained many of the tragedies mentioned. He took the audience back to a time in his daughter’s life when tragic incidents were happening daily. A close friend to the Lapchick’s family tied his own two kids to the car seat and waited to pull onto the interstate until a tractor-trailer came, ultimately killing himself and his own two children. Paired with this was a classmate’s suicide, a teacher’s death, an attempted murder, and a close friend’s father committing suicide into oncoming traffic. Not to mention the beginning of the week when his daughter was almost kidnapped by a naked man in a car. The crowd was heavy and somber after all of these horrible stories. But Lapchick’s point was simply this: there’s always going to be bad in the world. Everyone has power to influence, but how will we choose to use it?
Speaking as a writer for ESPN.com, creator of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida and the founder of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, Lapchick provided the audience hard evidence of white dominance behind the African-American athletes in the NBA. An astounding 91 percent of Division 1 basketball coaches are Caucasian males. Dissecting the different percentages between Caucasian and African-American coaches as well as the male to female coaches was mind boggling. Lapchick’s passion for finding equality in all areas of life was obvious.
“There’s something about sports” was repeated many times by Lapchick. He also made it clear many good people out there are doing things to help the world, specifically with regards to racial equality. However, he charged the students with, “Will it end, how will it end, and if it’s gonna end, what are you gonna do to help it?” Upon concluding his insight and opinions about racial discrimination, the audience appeared supportive of Lapchick’s lecture by giving him a warm, closing applause.
Speech at UGA article by Jonathan Shealy
“There’s something about sport.” This was a phrase continually reiterated by Richard Lapchick, the keynote speaker at the 2010 Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture, sponsored by the Department of Kinesiology at UGA. It showed his passion for sports was almost as strong as his passion for trying to bring about racial equality. A mix of Sports Business and Journalism majors, as well as many other interested students came together on April 20 at the Georgia Center on a rainy afternoon to listen to one of the most influential voices on race issues in sports over the last few decades.
Lapchick is the creator of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, founder of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, and writer for ESPN.com. He has become well known for his efforts in promoting racial equality, especially in opposing the South African apartheid through a sports boycott. In a video shown as an introduction to the speech former Bengals Linebacker Reggie Williams said that Lapchick “put his life on the line for causes, that quite honestly, affect others more than himself.” This is literally true as he was once attacked by two masked men for opposing South Africa’s participation in the Davis Cup due to apartheid.
Lapchick’s lecture, entitled “Sport: a bridge across the Racial Divide”, began as he expressed his appreciation for Georgia and its athletic program, especially for hiring an African American athletic director, Damon Evans, which according to some statistics he would later read, is a rarity in the NCAA, where 93 percent of athletic directors in Division I are white.
“There’s something about sport that makes us different from others in regular life”, Lapchick mused. Lapchick, though white, experienced racial discrimination at an early age, as his father, then the coach of the New York Knicks, received criticism and threats for signing Nat Clifton, the first African American to sign an NBA contract. When he was older he attended a basketball camp where the one black player received so much racial hatred from one of the white players that Lapchick stood up for him and promptly got knocked out. That player was Lewis Alcindor, Jr, or as he is now more commonly known as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, the NBA’s all time leading scorer.
Lapchick realized that the arena of sports was a great equalizer between races and provided a powerful avenue for making a statement. “In that huddle, you’re part of a team, it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, protestant, muslim, catholic, young, old, gay, straight, male female, you can’t win if you don’t work together.”
The sports boycott of South Africa proved more effective than boycotts of oil or other goods because as Lapchick put it, “you can smuggle in oil and all that other stuff, but you can’t play sports in the dark”. Lapchick was one of a select number of people invited to Nelson Mandela’s inauguration for his efforts and he said that Mandela later told him that one of the reasons he was eager to come back was bring sports back to his country.
Lapchick’s main goal, however, was to motivate his audience to take a stand against racial injustice today. He said that while the players are now equal, those running and covering sports is still vastly skewed. Lapchick read some recent statistics that said that 95 percent of sports editors and 87 percent of reporters are white, as well as 91 percent of Division I coaches, and 9 percent of hate crimes occur on college campuses.
Lapchick said his focus has changed to passing the torch to a new generation, which is why he speaks to college students. He continued to speak on how even something as simple as just trying to see how those around us may be in need of help; “everybody has a problem that you don’t know about”. As he concluded he implored the new generation of students to rise up and take a stand: “the definition of a leader is someone who stands up for justice and doesn’t stand in its path.” He received a round of applause as he finished and everyone in the audience seemed supportive of his efforts.
Lapchick is the creator of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, founder of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, and writer for ESPN.com. He has become well known for his efforts in promoting racial equality, especially in opposing the South African apartheid through a sports boycott. In a video shown as an introduction to the speech former Bengals Linebacker Reggie Williams said that Lapchick “put his life on the line for causes, that quite honestly, affect others more than himself.” This is literally true as he was once attacked by two masked men for opposing South Africa’s participation in the Davis Cup due to apartheid.
Lapchick’s lecture, entitled “Sport: a bridge across the Racial Divide”, began as he expressed his appreciation for Georgia and its athletic program, especially for hiring an African American athletic director, Damon Evans, which according to some statistics he would later read, is a rarity in the NCAA, where 93 percent of athletic directors in Division I are white.
“There’s something about sport that makes us different from others in regular life”, Lapchick mused. Lapchick, though white, experienced racial discrimination at an early age, as his father, then the coach of the New York Knicks, received criticism and threats for signing Nat Clifton, the first African American to sign an NBA contract. When he was older he attended a basketball camp where the one black player received so much racial hatred from one of the white players that Lapchick stood up for him and promptly got knocked out. That player was Lewis Alcindor, Jr, or as he is now more commonly known as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, the NBA’s all time leading scorer.
Lapchick realized that the arena of sports was a great equalizer between races and provided a powerful avenue for making a statement. “In that huddle, you’re part of a team, it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, protestant, muslim, catholic, young, old, gay, straight, male female, you can’t win if you don’t work together.”
The sports boycott of South Africa proved more effective than boycotts of oil or other goods because as Lapchick put it, “you can smuggle in oil and all that other stuff, but you can’t play sports in the dark”. Lapchick was one of a select number of people invited to Nelson Mandela’s inauguration for his efforts and he said that Mandela later told him that one of the reasons he was eager to come back was bring sports back to his country.
Lapchick’s main goal, however, was to motivate his audience to take a stand against racial injustice today. He said that while the players are now equal, those running and covering sports is still vastly skewed. Lapchick read some recent statistics that said that 95 percent of sports editors and 87 percent of reporters are white, as well as 91 percent of Division I coaches, and 9 percent of hate crimes occur on college campuses.
Lapchick said his focus has changed to passing the torch to a new generation, which is why he speaks to college students. He continued to speak on how even something as simple as just trying to see how those around us may be in need of help; “everybody has a problem that you don’t know about”. As he concluded he implored the new generation of students to rise up and take a stand: “the definition of a leader is someone who stands up for justice and doesn’t stand in its path.” He received a round of applause as he finished and everyone in the audience seemed supportive of his efforts.
Speech Story Nancy Hanger
“The government doesn’t care if you get high,” say High Times editor-in-chief Steve Hager, “half the country takes pills as it is. They do have a problem though, cause I if hand you a marijuana seed, I am handing you medicine for the rest of your life.”
“Any doctor that tells you to smoke something because it’s good for you is a damn fool!” retaliates Robert Stutman, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent in the New York City office, in last night’s heated debate.
Yesterday evening, April 19, 2010, the University Union and the Ideas and Issues Committee at the University of Georgia sponsored the “Heads vs. Feds Debate: The Debate to Legalize Marijuana.”
Representing the Heads was Steve Hager, the editor-in-chief of High Times Magazine or as the introductory video named him “the most famous pot head.” He is also the founder of the Counterculture Hall of Fame and the celebrated Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. Robert Stutman, a retired special agent for the DEA and a leading advocate in drug prevention and education, spoke for the Feds.
The doors to the Tate Student Theater opened at 7 p.m., but that was hardly enough time to file in the 500 plus students waiting and hoping for an available seat in the theater. As the clock slowly ticked toward the big debate, groups of students in tie-dye t-shirts with dreadlocks and beaded jewelry gathered at the back of the ticket line that had wrapped around the entire room.
There was a buzz of excitement in the air as college students decked out in Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin t-shirts high-fived their friends as they met up in line.
Disappointment hit the huge crowd waiting in line when over 90 students were turned away due to lack of seating in the theater; the turnout was much bigger than expected.
Every single seat in the theater was occupied as the last lucky students marched in to the sound of Bob Marley’s “Exodus.” Two or three students walked up and down the aisles passing out marijuana leaf stickers to the crowd they had brought from home for the much-anticipated occasion.
Hager began the debate with five big reasons to legalize this important part of his culture. He explained that “culture isn’t something you buy in a box or watch on TV, culture is actually the ceremonies you and your tribe create.”
“We must stop funding corruption,” says Hager. “We have built the biggest prison system here in America, the land of the free.” He argues that we are spending billions of dollars putting our youth in cages for something they shouldn’t have been imprisoned for in the first place. “There is a difference between people who use substances and people who abuse. And those people belong in treatment.”
“I mean please people, can we get a little bit of religious freedom?” Hager asks the crowd as a roar of applause and cheers erupts from the admiring students.
Stutman responds, “Most people in favor of marijuana want it legal because it’s their drug of choice and don’t want cops interfering.”
“Marijuana causes dependence. Many people go from having marijuana as part of their life to marijuana becoming their life,” states Stutman, who is aware that almost the entire theater is in favor of legalization. The crowd listens to his arguments and respectfully remains silent for their prominent guest.
Stutman’s most important objection was “if we legalize it, we will have far more users, and then far more alcohol users. They go up together.”
He then challenged the audience that if the entire country agrees and votes for the legalization of cannabis, then it should be legal. “But right now 59% of the American public is against it…. and that is tyranny by majority.”
Throughout the debate, it was clear that both of these speakers had completely opposite views with different backgrounds and experiences. Hager even lightly joked to the audience that the Stutman means well, he just doesn’t understand because he’s never tried it.
The debate eventually boiled down to a question of medicine and a battle of scientific studies collected by each of the speakers.
“Nobody knows anybody who got cancer from marijuana,” claims Hager much to the pleasure of the audience.
While Stutman refers back to his basic rule of litigation, “If the facts are on your side, argue the facts. If the law is on your side, argue the law. And if nothing is on your side, just keep arguing.”
Alison Grimes Speech Story: Heads v. Feds
The day before the commonly known “national smoke weed day” the University of Georgia held a more than entertaining debate about the legalization of marijuana between Robert Stutman, 25-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Steve Hager, editor-in-chief of High Times Magazine.
The debate was properly named “Heads v. Feds,” and the student center theatre was filled with just about 500 tye-dyed-t-shirted frat boys, young gypsies and dread heads. Of course there were also the ever so threatening university police standing outside the entrance just to ensure no supporter or protestor brought an illegal material to demonstrate their stance.
Each speaker was introduced by a short film, which revealed the polarizing opposites the two men posed on this debate. Stutman, an east coast native, explained how he originally planned to study physics, but ended up getting interviewed by the CIA. This later lead him to his position on in the Drug Enforcement Agency and his heavy contribution to the war on drugs; also dubbing him the title of “the most famous nark in America“.
The film also dove into Hager’s background demonstrating how he was a raised in a small town and his California college experience created his foundation of his “own culture.” This self proclaimed culture that Hager has formed is what dubbed him the title of the “most famous pot head in the world.”
In his loose button up purple shirt, his shaggy hair and his baseball cap Hager had the crowd nodding their head and clapping with each claim. Hager’s five reasons for the legalization of marijuana were: 1) It is good medicine 2) Hemp is good for the environment 3) We have built the biggest prison system in the world during his fifty-five year lifetime 4) We have got to stop funding corruption 5) It is part of his culture.
Hager defined his hemp friendly environmental focused culture true American and ended his argument with “Were as American as apple pie and baseball. Can I please get a little freedom of religion?’
“Damn, he is good. I shouldn’t even try,” jokes Stutman as he takes the stand. Stutman takes the mic more than aware the majority of the crowd is opposed to his view, but that did not deter his confidence one bit.
Stutman goes on to attack each of Hager’s claim from the American history aspects that Hager used to show the benefits of hemp to the argument tactic that Hager took. “I bet you never thought you would be clapping for the nark, did ya?” Stutman joked with the crowd.
The former DEA agent got in good with the crowd when he continuously made a point to note that he had many similar views with Hager. One in particular was they both did not agree with the idea of incarcerating people for drugs.
“There are extreme zealots on both sides of this debate. But I will say that I agree with my friend Steve that it is a stupid idea to send people to jail over drug use. For ANY kind of drug use, not just marijuana. It does not help anyone,” preached Stutman.
Stutman did go on to say that, “Claiming that marijuana is part of your religion does not make it right. Do it in the name of religion does not make it right.” Stutman continued his argument with numerous medical claims.
After the two men went back and forth the debate at ended at a clear point that both sides had completely opposite views and they really wanted to prove it was okay to disagree without personally attacking one another. The debate did make it clear that this controversial issue is going to be around for a while.
The debate was properly named “Heads v. Feds,” and the student center theatre was filled with just about 500 tye-dyed-t-shirted frat boys, young gypsies and dread heads. Of course there were also the ever so threatening university police standing outside the entrance just to ensure no supporter or protestor brought an illegal material to demonstrate their stance.
Each speaker was introduced by a short film, which revealed the polarizing opposites the two men posed on this debate. Stutman, an east coast native, explained how he originally planned to study physics, but ended up getting interviewed by the CIA. This later lead him to his position on in the Drug Enforcement Agency and his heavy contribution to the war on drugs; also dubbing him the title of “the most famous nark in America“.
The film also dove into Hager’s background demonstrating how he was a raised in a small town and his California college experience created his foundation of his “own culture.” This self proclaimed culture that Hager has formed is what dubbed him the title of the “most famous pot head in the world.”
In his loose button up purple shirt, his shaggy hair and his baseball cap Hager had the crowd nodding their head and clapping with each claim. Hager’s five reasons for the legalization of marijuana were: 1) It is good medicine 2) Hemp is good for the environment 3) We have built the biggest prison system in the world during his fifty-five year lifetime 4) We have got to stop funding corruption 5) It is part of his culture.
Hager defined his hemp friendly environmental focused culture true American and ended his argument with “Were as American as apple pie and baseball. Can I please get a little freedom of religion?’
“Damn, he is good. I shouldn’t even try,” jokes Stutman as he takes the stand. Stutman takes the mic more than aware the majority of the crowd is opposed to his view, but that did not deter his confidence one bit.
Stutman goes on to attack each of Hager’s claim from the American history aspects that Hager used to show the benefits of hemp to the argument tactic that Hager took. “I bet you never thought you would be clapping for the nark, did ya?” Stutman joked with the crowd.
The former DEA agent got in good with the crowd when he continuously made a point to note that he had many similar views with Hager. One in particular was they both did not agree with the idea of incarcerating people for drugs.
“There are extreme zealots on both sides of this debate. But I will say that I agree with my friend Steve that it is a stupid idea to send people to jail over drug use. For ANY kind of drug use, not just marijuana. It does not help anyone,” preached Stutman.
Stutman did go on to say that, “Claiming that marijuana is part of your religion does not make it right. Do it in the name of religion does not make it right.” Stutman continued his argument with numerous medical claims.
After the two men went back and forth the debate at ended at a clear point that both sides had completely opposite views and they really wanted to prove it was okay to disagree without personally attacking one another. The debate did make it clear that this controversial issue is going to be around for a while.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Speech Story by Natalee Cooper
On March 31, 2010 in room 245 of the University of Georgia’s Miller Learning Center a small gathering of students dedicated to the welfare of animals listened with keen interest as Peer Nutrition Educators Priya Patel and Brittany Cox spoke about the alternative for healthy vegan and vegetarian diets and what it means for those who choose that lifestyle, particularly the reduction in the risk for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes. All of the guests in attendance belong to UGA’s organization Speak Out for Species, an animal advocacy group dedicated to defending animals from cruelty and exploitation.
Peer Nutrition Educators Patel and Cox joined the University of Georgia’s Peer Nutrition Educator Program in the summer of 2010. Like many of the other speeches they’ve conducted since joining, their speech to SOS members focuses on the aspects most vital to a healthy and balanced lifestyle but it is tailored to those who call themselves vegetarian or vegan. SOS faculty advisor Eric Griffin said of their guest speakers, “I think it’s important not only for people to see that being vegetarian and vegan is a healthy option but to also be informed as to how to manage those diets properly and that is why we asked Brittany and Priya here today.”
Cox and Patel’s speech begins with a question not all too unfamiliar to vegetarians and vegans, “How many of you are routinely asked ‘Where do you get your protein?’ Or ‘Don’t you worry about calcium deficiency?’?” Fifteen out of fifteen hands vigorously shoot up, accompanied by eye-rolling and chuckles. “Sadly this is not surprising. We want to help equip you with the correct information about your diets so you can dispel these myths” Patel remarks.
Cox and Patel do address the fact that meatless diets result in the loss of certain vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, which is almost exclusively found in animal products, but they also explore the alternative means for acquiring those things necessary to a balanced diet. Cox emphasizes, “There are things such as protein and calcium which can be obtained in healthy amounts from sources such as plants but other vitamins and minerals such as B12 and iron can prove more difficult but it is not impossible to find these in sources other than animal products.”
An important fact that the Nutrition Educators relay is that when certain food pairs are consumed together, they will contain the same amino acids, protein, and vitamins found in animals. Patel illustrates this point, “For example, eating beans and rice together will make a complete protein…another item that is not required to be paired with other food sources is nutritional yeast, commonly labeled as Vegetarian Support Formula, which is a source of B12.”Cox and Patel also revealed tips about ways to maintain a diverse meatless diet that will supplement all one’s nutritional needs. Some of those things include eating spaghetti squash instead of refined pasta, consuming whole grains for fiber, eating squash instead of potatoes, and eating lots of leafy green vegetables for calcium.
For more helpful information Cox and Patel suggest sites such as veganhealth.org, vegweb.com, or vegetariantimes.com. To those UGA students who utilize the meal plan they also emphasized contacting Food Services dietitian Katherine Ingerson for any questions about vegetarian and vegan friendly foods included in the meal plan. Another tip Cox and Patel give is to buy local. Patel says, “It is important to support sustainable resources. You can do this by going to the Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park on Saturdays, the International Farmers Market in Doraville, or by dining at local restaurants that you know buy local.”
SOS co-president Suzie Fatkin says she’s impressed with the wealth of information Cox and Patel have to offer students but she is discouraged by UGA’s lack of vegetarian and vegan dining options. Fatkin explains,” That’s one thing I was really hoping to discuss with our Peer Nutrition Educators, that talking about balanced nutrition isn’t enough. There needs to be a bigger push for vegan and vegetarian options in the university system and unfortunately UGA keeps dropping the ball.”
Peer Nutrition Educators Patel and Cox joined the University of Georgia’s Peer Nutrition Educator Program in the summer of 2010. Like many of the other speeches they’ve conducted since joining, their speech to SOS members focuses on the aspects most vital to a healthy and balanced lifestyle but it is tailored to those who call themselves vegetarian or vegan. SOS faculty advisor Eric Griffin said of their guest speakers, “I think it’s important not only for people to see that being vegetarian and vegan is a healthy option but to also be informed as to how to manage those diets properly and that is why we asked Brittany and Priya here today.”
Cox and Patel’s speech begins with a question not all too unfamiliar to vegetarians and vegans, “How many of you are routinely asked ‘Where do you get your protein?’ Or ‘Don’t you worry about calcium deficiency?’?” Fifteen out of fifteen hands vigorously shoot up, accompanied by eye-rolling and chuckles. “Sadly this is not surprising. We want to help equip you with the correct information about your diets so you can dispel these myths” Patel remarks.
Cox and Patel do address the fact that meatless diets result in the loss of certain vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, which is almost exclusively found in animal products, but they also explore the alternative means for acquiring those things necessary to a balanced diet. Cox emphasizes, “There are things such as protein and calcium which can be obtained in healthy amounts from sources such as plants but other vitamins and minerals such as B12 and iron can prove more difficult but it is not impossible to find these in sources other than animal products.”
An important fact that the Nutrition Educators relay is that when certain food pairs are consumed together, they will contain the same amino acids, protein, and vitamins found in animals. Patel illustrates this point, “For example, eating beans and rice together will make a complete protein…another item that is not required to be paired with other food sources is nutritional yeast, commonly labeled as Vegetarian Support Formula, which is a source of B12.”Cox and Patel also revealed tips about ways to maintain a diverse meatless diet that will supplement all one’s nutritional needs. Some of those things include eating spaghetti squash instead of refined pasta, consuming whole grains for fiber, eating squash instead of potatoes, and eating lots of leafy green vegetables for calcium.
For more helpful information Cox and Patel suggest sites such as veganhealth.org, vegweb.com, or vegetariantimes.com. To those UGA students who utilize the meal plan they also emphasized contacting Food Services dietitian Katherine Ingerson for any questions about vegetarian and vegan friendly foods included in the meal plan. Another tip Cox and Patel give is to buy local. Patel says, “It is important to support sustainable resources. You can do this by going to the Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park on Saturdays, the International Farmers Market in Doraville, or by dining at local restaurants that you know buy local.”
SOS co-president Suzie Fatkin says she’s impressed with the wealth of information Cox and Patel have to offer students but she is discouraged by UGA’s lack of vegetarian and vegan dining options. Fatkin explains,” That’s one thing I was really hoping to discuss with our Peer Nutrition Educators, that talking about balanced nutrition isn’t enough. There needs to be a bigger push for vegan and vegetarian options in the university system and unfortunately UGA keeps dropping the ball.”
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