I go to the stadium every day. Normally, I go down there at 5:30 pm for practice. At that time, it would be very humid down there, and about 45 people, coaches and other players, would be there with me. While we put our gear on, the football team would slowly finish their practice and leave. When we’re cooling down after practice, the men’s soccer team would come down and start their warm-up. There would be a lot of noise all the time – soccer balls getting kicked, people talking.

Then, the other day, I went down to the stadium in the morning before class. The place didn’t look much different, but it felt different. Unlike most afternoons, it was still cold, even though the sun was already up. I’d say about 45 degrees, which is very low compared to the 73 degrees we had later that day. Even though I was running on the track, I was freezing more than I was sweating. My nose hurt a bit from breathing the cold air, but I enjoyed it because it felt fresh instead of humid and sweaty. Another thing I found very unusual was the silence. There was only one other runner down there. Apart from the wind blowing through the stadium, I didn’t hear any noises, in contrast to all the noises when there are other people down there. It’s funny how similar and different a place can be at the same time when you visit it under unusual circumstances.

Loud rustling of plastic. Something cold and soft inside the bag. Before you open a pack of monster buddies you can only hear it and feel the gummies a little bit. You can’t smell, see, or taste the candy. Not yet.

Then, your other senses come into play. You stick your nose into the slightly opened bag and smell a mixture of fruits, sugar, and chemistry. It smells unhealthy. As you look into the bag you see little gummies in the form of monsters in a variety of colors, from blue over orange and red to green. You take one out and start to squeeze it. You take some more and start to play with them. You notice they’re elastic and sticky. The gummies themselves don’t make much noise, just the bag. The only thing left to do is to taste them – they taste like they smell. Very chemical and fruity – like trash.

Veganism at Morningside vs. Veganism in Germany

Whether for climate change, animal welfare, or health reasons – more and more people decide to cut meat products off their diet. In fact, many even choose to not eat any animal products at all and go vegan.
However, there are certain regional differences when it comes to veganism. Whereas there is a big variety of vegan options in some places, it is very hard to find vegan products in others. For example, how is it to be vegan here on campus compared to Germany? Let three people tell you about their experiences.

A vegan diet is defined as a diet that “excludes all forms of animal exploitation,” meaning it doesn’t involve meat or any other products derived from animals, such as anything that contains milk or eggs.

Germany was found the fifth-best country for vegans in 2021 by Chef’s Pencil. In addition, four German cities secured a top 15 spot in the city rankings. Even though Germany is well-known for its schnitzels and sausages, it also leads in the production of meat substitutes and plant-based food.
With close to 10% of the population considering themselves vegetarian, and about 1.6% vegans, the country has the highest rates in Europe – and the numbers continue to increase. From 2016 to 2020, the number of vegans has doubled.

Conny Wagner lives in Berlin, the city that was named the vegan capital of the world in 2017. She has been following a plant-based for number years.
Experiences

In the US, the number of vegans in the population has increased drastically over the past years. Nevertheless, Iowa belongs to the least vegan-friendly states in the US. Number of restaurants with vegan options

Experiences of two students from Germany, comparing being vegan here at Morningside with being vegan back at home in terms of options and other people’s mindsets

Of course, it is hard to compare options in a school canteen to food in Germany as a country. However, about 13.5% of Berlin’s students are keeping a vegan diet, according to statistics. As there was a huge demand, the city’s universities will go almost meat-free in the future, with a 68% vegan menu and only one meat option four days a week.