- Vegan friendly campus? -

Xavier's recent nomination for peta2's Most Vegan-Friendly
College competition has our minds blown. This is ridiculous - Xavier may have vegan options, but it is definitely not vegan-friendly. The Xavier Newswire has a few vegetarians and former vegans on staff, so we feel we know what we're talking about. What was peta2 thinking? Xavier definitely has its fair share of vegetarian options, but vegan? Yes, the cafeteria does have a vegan section. Peta2's press release
mentions a few of Xavier's vegan meals, including chana masala and sweet-and-sour tofu, and we will admit that those taste decent (admittedly, by caf standards). However, the cafeteria has been known to incorrectly label foods on the vegan station. Last year, peanut butter cookies were once labeled vegan, but, it was discovered the cookies contained butter (and no, for those who are curious, butter is not vegan). A similar situation happened last year with enchiladas that were labeled vegan but clearly had cheese on top. Granted, these things happened last year. We
haven't checked out the vegan bar yet this year, so it's possible things have improved since then. Although this may not seem like a big deal, it is. Some people avoid dairy because of allergies. Others have been vegan so long
that if they consume dairy they will become violently ill. Last time we checked, lying to students using an incorrectly labeled sign - that could potentially endanger them - is probably not the best thing for the caf to be doing on a regular basis. We understand accidents happen and that the cafeteria is trying its best to accommodate students.
However, all cafeteria meals aside, Xavier does not have a wide selection for vegans to choose from. The only vegan item at Subway is a veggie sub on Italian bread (only the Italian bread is vegan) and Currito seemingly has a pretty good selection of vegan options. Aside from those two meals, it is hard-pressed to find vegan-friendly food on campus. We are proud of Xavier for attempting to accommodate the dietary needs of all students, but a lot of improvement is still needed.Eventually Xavier could rightfully
earn the title of "most vegan friendly college," but we need to
make a few additions before the university is worthy of that label. So peta2, thanks for the effort, but try again next year.