Spring Break
New eggs not always offered
by Greta Moran
Staff writer
News | 10/21/08
Posted online at 3:11 AM EST on 10/21/08
/ Last updated at 3:13 AM EST on 10/21/08
Despite the signs in the Brandeis dining halls adorned with peace signs, flowers and a smiling egg that read "Cage-Free Eggs Are Now Available By Request," this is not always the case according to Co-Chair of the Student Dining Services Advisory Committee Jenna Brofsky '10, who in the short term would like to ensure that cage-free eggs are always an option for students and in the long run would like to see the complete transition from regular eggs to cage-free eggs in Brandeis dining halls.
It would be more accurate for the signs to read "Cage-Free Eggs Available Sometimes." Many students, particularly the members of the Student Dining Services Advisory Committee, do not think that "sometimes" is acceptable. They believe that having cage-free eggs as an option isn't good enough because, according to Brofsky and Jenna Rubin '11, co-chair of the Dining Advisory Services Committee, it should be the only option.
"We really want to see a full switch to cage-free eggs, because cage-free eggs represent to us social justice," Brofsky said. "It means making sure we know where our food is coming from and that we are making responsible choices."
Cage-free eggs come from chickens that live in an open, humane environment. In an op-ed contribution published in the Justice last April, Brofsky and Max Fischlowitz-Roberts '10 wrote, "Cage-free eggs are eggs that are laid by hens that have room to walk around, spread their wings and generally live a better life." Regular eggs, on the other hand, are laid by hens that live in small, metal battery cages. "Over a hen's lifetime, she will have no more space in which to live than a piece of letter paper. Many birds die because of the dirty living conditions, dehydration and diseases that result from such unnatural confinement. The battery cage system causes enormous suffering," explained Brofsky and Fischlowitz-Roberts in their editorial.
Brofsky is working on making cage-free eggs the only option in Brandeis dining halls by drafting a referendum in the form of a student-wide petition which would require over 450 signatures. Brofsky and Fischlowitz-Roberts proposed this idea to Dining Services last fall, but Dining Services wanted to see greater student support. After working to increase awareness of cage-free eggs during the winter months, Brofsky and Fischlowitz-Roberts addressed it again in the spring. Once again Dining Services was hesitant to switch entirely over to cage-free eggs but this time agreed to provide cage-free eggs as an option.
It would be more accurate for the signs to read "Cage-Free Eggs Available Sometimes." Many students, particularly the members of the Student Dining Services Advisory Committee, do not think that "sometimes" is acceptable. They believe that having cage-free eggs as an option isn't good enough because, according to Brofsky and Jenna Rubin '11, co-chair of the Dining Advisory Services Committee, it should be the only option.
"We really want to see a full switch to cage-free eggs, because cage-free eggs represent to us social justice," Brofsky said. "It means making sure we know where our food is coming from and that we are making responsible choices."
Cage-free eggs come from chickens that live in an open, humane environment. In an op-ed contribution published in the Justice last April, Brofsky and Max Fischlowitz-Roberts '10 wrote, "Cage-free eggs are eggs that are laid by hens that have room to walk around, spread their wings and generally live a better life." Regular eggs, on the other hand, are laid by hens that live in small, metal battery cages. "Over a hen's lifetime, she will have no more space in which to live than a piece of letter paper. Many birds die because of the dirty living conditions, dehydration and diseases that result from such unnatural confinement. The battery cage system causes enormous suffering," explained Brofsky and Fischlowitz-Roberts in their editorial.
Brofsky is working on making cage-free eggs the only option in Brandeis dining halls by drafting a referendum in the form of a student-wide petition which would require over 450 signatures. Brofsky and Fischlowitz-Roberts proposed this idea to Dining Services last fall, but Dining Services wanted to see greater student support. After working to increase awareness of cage-free eggs during the winter months, Brofsky and Fischlowitz-Roberts addressed it again in the spring. Once again Dining Services was hesitant to switch entirely over to cage-free eggs but this time agreed to provide cage-free eggs as an option.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Emily
posted 10/25/08 @ 12:50 AM EST
Kind of like the organic beef that upper usdan was out of today (along with chicken fingers, chicken steak, philly cheese steak, all types of wraps, and fruit cups that I was told were not available today, either). (Continued…)
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