Have a Cow, Don’t Eat One

Have a Cow, Don’t Eat= One! Exploring Vegetarianism: A Healthy and Compassionate Alternative

Interim 200= 7

Instructor: Dr. Williams

Office: Daniel Building 208

Office Phone: 597-4907

Email: williamsnm@wofford.edu

Class time/location: Monday-Thursday: 1:00-4:00 in = Main 124; and Fridays (except Jan. 4) from 9:30-12:30 at Home and Garden Classics on 147 S. Pine Street.

Course Description

In this course, we will discover the nutritional benef= its of vegetarian/vegan diets as well as some of the religious, environmental, and ethical reasons for choosing a meat-free diet. We will also gain hands-on experience by cooking delicious vegetarian/vegan meals. Regular reading presentations, individual and group projects, course journals, guest speake= rs, field trips, class discussions, and videos/films will be included in this class.<= /p>

Course Objectives

By the end of the term, students are expected:

●To be familiar with the nutritional benefits of vegetarian/vegan diets;

●To have a deeper appreciation about religious a= nd moral vegetarianism;

●To know how to prepare selected vegetarian/vega= n meals.

Required Books

●Robbins, John, The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can = Help Save Your Life and the World, Conari Press, 2001.

●Steve F. Sapontzis, ed., Food For Thought: The Deba= te over Eating Meat, Prometheus Books, 2004.

●Material on e-reserves

Attendance

You are required to attend all scheduled lectures and cooking sessions. Any unexcused absence will result in failure.

Grading

A passing g= rade is above 75%, failing is below 75%, and an honors pass is a grade above 94%.

Distribution:

●20% --- Class participation: class attendance, discussion in class on readings, student presentations, videos and strict a= dherence to the ground rules of the course.

●20% --- Cooking: actively engage in cooking vegetarian/vegan meals

●20% --- Individual projects: grades will be bas= ed on content (accuracy and amount), clarity, creativity, and presentation style<= /p>
●20% --- Group projects: same grading criteria as individual projects

●20% --- Course journal: each of you will keep a binder of TYPED reflections about our daily readings, class discussions, and videos. For each class (18 journal entries total), you will type a one-p= age response to the readings assigned for that day. What are the key things you learned from this reading assignment? What did you find particularly interesting about the reading and why?

On occasion, I will assign specific questions for you = to answer in your journals. Please bring your journal to class every day, as y= our reflection will provide the basis for class discussion. I reserve the right to spot check journals at any time, although I am not likely to do so as long as the qual= ity of class discussion remains high. At the end of the interim, I will collect= and grade your journals. Grades will be based on completion, accuracy, and thoughtfulness.

Schedule

Week 1

Nutrition and Human Health

(Th) Jan. 3---Discuss questionnaire/Video: Exploring Vegetarianism (20 min.)<= /p>
               &= nbsp;        Reading: Robbins, Chapters 1, 2, and 3

(Fr) Jan. 4---Reading: Robbins, Chapters 4 and 5/Health Benefits handout

(M) Jan. 7---Reading: Robbins, Chapter 6/Video: Eating (110 min.)

(T) Jan. 8--- Field trip: Five Spices Restaurant: 11:30 Be there!

(W) Jan. 9--- Group Project #1: Disease Prevention Poster Rally (in-class               &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; project)/Reading: Robbins,= Chapters 7 and 8

Week 2

Religious and Spiritual Vegetarianism

(Th) Jan. 10---Individual project #1: choose one- “Can your Favorite Meal be         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;            Meatless?” or “Vegetarian Online”/Video: Vegan Gal (80 min.)

   &nbs= p;                &= nbsp;   Print “101 Reasons Why I am a Vegetarian” from site:         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;            &= nbsp;   www.vivavegie.org/vv101/

(Fr) Jan. 11---Cooking: Home and Garden Classics (Brea= kfast)

(M) Jan. 14---Group Project #2: Vegetarian (Dairy and Meat) Substitutes Poster Rally         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; (in-class project)/ Religious Vegetarianism/Readings: Sapontzis, Chapters         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; 13, 14, 15

(T) Jan. 15--- Readings: Sapontzis, Chapters 16, 17, 18, 19

(W) Jan. 16--- Field Trip: The Laughing Seed, Asheville, NC (lunch at11:30)

Week 3

Environmental Considerations and Animal Rights

(TH) Jan. 17---Environmental Vegetarianism/Readings: Robbins, Chapters 13 and    =             &nb= sp;            =    14/Print “Turning Farms into Factories” from www.foodandwaterwatch.org/f= ood/pubs/reports/turning-farms-into-factories

(Fr) Jan. 18---Cooking: Home and Garden Classics (Lunc= h)

(Saturday) Jan. 19---Field Trip: Lenore’s Natural Cuisine: Vegan Cooking class --Tofu &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;         and Tempeh (link: http://www.lenoresnatural.com/index.php)

(M) Jan. 21---No class

(T) Jan. 22--- Moral Vegetarianism/Readings: Sapontzis, Chapters 5 and 6/Video:    &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; Mad Cowboy (58 min.)

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Individual project #2: raising awareness about the links between factory &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       farming and environmental damage

(W) Jan. 23---Readings: E-Reserve-Regan, Empty Cages, C= hapter 3 (“Human     &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;             &= nbsp;   Rights”) and 4 (“Animal Rights”)

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Video: The Witness (43 min.)

Week 4

Animal Ethics

(Th) Jan. 24--- Readings: Sapontzis, Chapters 7, 8, 10, 12

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Video: The Emotional World of Animals = (52 min.)

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Reading: Patterso= n, “Without the Homage of a Tear (E-Reserve) /

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Video: Meat Your Meat (15 min.)

(Fr) Jan. 25---Cooking: Home and Garden Classics (Dinn= er)

   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       View Earthlings video (95 min.) over= the weekend

(M) Jan. 28---Readings: Sapontzis, Chapter 20 and “The Rape of Animals, the         &= nbsp;           &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; Butchering of Women” (E-Reserve)/Video: = Flesh (43 min.)

(T) Jan. 29--- wrap-up/planning session

(W) Jan. 30---Raising awareness at Wofford College: students prepare vegetarian/vegan &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;       lunch for invited guests. Bring your posters! Location: Holcombe room         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;      (downstairs in Burwell)

Projects=

●Group Project #1: Disease Prevention Poster Ral= ly

     Use the Internet = to investigate current research that correlates vegetarian diets    with cancer and disease preve= ntion. Choose one particular type of cancer or &nb= sp;         other disease and locate the results of recent studies and reports published by <= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>   national organizations. Creat= e a poster that would raise public awareness of       the link between diet and health.

●Individual project #1: choose one

“Can your Favorite Meal be Meatless?”
   &nbs= p;        Write down the recipe for a favorite meal or dish that includes meat, dairy, and/= or          = eggs. Then, use the Internet to find a vegetarian recipe for the same or a simila= r        dish.=

   &nbs= p;

=        “Vegetarian Online”

   &nbs= p;        Visit one or more websites of companies that sell vegetarian foods. What         &= nbsp; additional health information or resources do they provide? What nutritional      information can be found for the companies’ product?

●Group Project #2: Vegetarian (Dairy and Meat) Substitutes Poster Rally

   &nbs= p;        Check out the variety of vegetarian products offered at Publix and/or a local

   &nbs= p;        health food store. The class will be divided into two groups---one for meat        produ= cts and one for dairy products. Each group should explore the store’s fre= sh, frozen, and packaged items to see h= ow many vegetarian substitutes can be found &n= bsp;   to replace their type of product. Each group should document the comparable nutrients, such as protein, calcium, B-12, etc., found in at least three of the =            vegetar= ian alternatives. Were the products more or less expensive than their non- vegetarian counterparts were? Each = group should present their findings to the =    class in an oral presentation and a poster showing.

●Individual project #2: raising awareness about = the links between factory farming and    environmental damage. Use your imagination here: you can create a magazine       advertiseme= nt, poster presentation, collage, poem, etc.