by Miriam Gottfried

   Dressed as a bunny rabbit, a pig, and a chicken, members of Wesleyan Animal Rights Network (WARN) distributed leaflets outside the Science and Campus Centers Wednesday condemning vivisection and promoting vegetarianism.

   “We’re out here to make people think a little bit about the decisions they usually make without thinking,” said Gabe Popkin ’03, who was dressed as a chicken and wore a sign reading, “Don’t eat me!”

   While promoting vegetarianism and veganism, WARN also objected to animal testing in the field of cosmetics and experimentation in scientific and medical laboratories. They highlighted experimentation done at the University, especially when the chicken wore a sign stating “My sister was murdered in Shanklin.”

   Additionally, WARN opposed inhumane methods used in raising and slaughtering animals for human consumption; pointing out extreme mistreatment of animals by human beings.

   Many students interacting with those dressed in animal costumes were not so eager to accept the group’s message.

   “In some ways yes, [it makes me stop and think], but I’m sticking to my opinion that it’s human nature, animal nature, to kill other animals for food,” said Todd Stone ’05. “I love animals. I think that an animal lover and a meat-eater are not necessarily mutually exclusive.”

   Nevertheless, WARN said its event was successful because all 600 pieces of literature were passed out in the first hour and a half.

   “We thought the costumes would be more of an attention-getter than if we were just sitting behind a table. We thought people would be more likely to take information from people dressed as animals,” said Elizabeth Weisholtz ’04, a WARN member. “We also want people to make the link between food and animals.”

   Education about animal rights issues was WARN’s primary goal, according to its members.

   “Just being vegan or vegetarian myself wasn’t enough. I felt that being educated and being forced to think about the effects that eating meat and dairy products has on animals was what prompted me to become a vegetarian, and I wanted to educate other people,” said WARN member Marie Knight ’03.

   Joel Bartlett ’03, a WARN member who has been a vegan for about five years, dressed as a pig and wore a sign saying, “When you eat bacon, you eat me.” He said he became concerned about the issue of animal rights after learning about the way it affected the environment, labor, and various other issues.

   “I see all the oppression in our society as being linked. I think student groups should be working together. We all have similar goals and common enemies,” Bartlett said.

   Rebecca Back ’05, a vegetarian for the past eight years, said she agreed with much of what she heard from the WARN representatives, but also had some objections to the tactics the group used.

   “I think that it’s really important to spread awareness about these issues. The only reservations I have about the Animal Rights Network are the graphic pictures they show because they remind me of the tactics that pro-lifers use. Other than that, these are some really important issues that are not going to be heard otherwise,” she said.

   Other students who objected to the WARN’s stance also expressed beliefs about meat eating being part of human nature.

   “I don’t feel guilty about eating animals. One day a sun, the next day a supernova, the next day planets. In the same way: one day a pig, the next day part of my stomach, the next day dirt … it’s all a matter of cycles, and we shouldn’t get too caught up in it,” said Dave Young ’03.

   Ben Abelson ’02 walked out of the Campus Center at lunchtime with a stack of hamburgers and began distributing them to students gathered outside.

   “I’m defending the rights of meat-eaters everywhere,” Abelson said.

   He responded in part to chalkings that WARN had done outside the Science Center, which stated, “Meat is murder. Dairy is Rape.”

   “I have the right to live the life I choose without being compared to a murderer or rapist. It’s offensive, rude, and counterproductive,” Abelson added.

   “I don’t think we should raise animals for food at all. It isn’t necessary, it’s harmful ecologically, and I consider it a form of slavery,” Weisholtz said, defending the group’s promotion of vegetarianism and veganism.

   Just before encountering the costumed-WARN members, Mark Hatch-Miller ’03 had been in a biology class where the professor dissected a chicken in order to demonstrate a concept being taught. He disagreed with the points the group made against using animals for research.

   “I feel like I learned much more [than I would have without the dissection] in class today in terms of visualizing embryological segmentation,” Hatch-Miller said. “Both of my parents are scientists, and I really believe that, through animal testing, not only are our lives benefited, but also in terms of animal health there are benefits.”

   Biology Professor John Kirn, who uses dissection in some of his classes, recognized the value of organizations like WARN in maintaining the community’s awareness.

   “I think organizations such as WARN provide two important services. First, they force us to remember our connectedness to other organisms, both in terms of biological similarity and in terms of interdependence. Second, they have forced us to critically evaluate current animal use in basic research and private industry,” Kirn said in a statement.

   Kirn also stated he was grateful to animal rights activists for promoting the development of alternatives that reduce animal usage, but he maintained that these alternatives are still limited in their potential application.

   “I believe that animal research is still justified in certain contexts, both scientifically and ethically, for understanding the world around us, and for the ultimate health benefits provided to animals, including humans,” he said.

   Others criticized the approach of promoting veganism and vegetarianism as a failure to get to the root of the problem.

   “These protestors use the terrible conditions in the industry as an argument for becoming a vegetarian, but they should instead be using their energy to fight for improved conditions,” said Zilvinas Silenas ’05.

   Weisholtz defended WARN’s tactics, saying that without a lifestyle change on the part of many people, the industries involved will not see the need for change themselves.

   “There’s never going to be any incentive for the government, or for the meat and dairy industry, to change unless they see that people are unhappy with the situation,” she said. “Veganism or vegetarianism is a form of boycott, and I think it’s an effective form of boycott.”

            This is the first time WARN has staged such an event where costumed students promoted animal rights. Previously, the group had focused its attention on protesting circuses, boycotting firms that employ animal testing such as Proctor and Gamble, and passing out vegan food at campus events.