Daily Discussion Thread: Fri 07 Jul 2023

3 years ago by Bot #001 to c/melbourne

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omoikiri 15 points 3 years ago

Uhhhh. The deanery just sent around an email. All catering done on campus is required to be vegetarian. They’re calling it ‘corporate vegetarianism.’ What fresh hell is this?

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Bottom_racer 6 points 3 years ago

Doesn't sound very enforcable for the catering not funded by the uni imo.

Unless they employ someone to run around and bust up illegal sausage sizzles.

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omoikiri 2 points 3 years ago

I think they’re going to try and get around it by the fact that any event held on campus (for staff, anyway) needs to be run by/done in coordination with the admin heads of the school. They’re going to have to be the ones to enforce it. But one of them was the first to tell me that she’d head about this through the grapevine weeks ago and she thought it was just as dumb as everyone else

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RustyRaven 5 points 3 years ago

That sounds like a move designed to spark outrage and controversy. Mandating a certain percentage be vegetarian would make sense, and encouraging people to consider more vegetarian options is fine, but I can't see it being popular insisting it be totally vegetarian.

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omoikiri 2 points 3 years ago

I completely understand their ethical standpoint and wanting to be more sustainable. But you’re completely correct. Encourage more vegetarian options. Half the time I do choose the vegetarian option anyway because I just prefer vegetables to meat. But mandating it? Seems extreme. A lot of my Asian colleagues are just not comprehending ‘no meat.’

And from what I’ve heard (though it could be inflated because, like you said - outrage), it’s all catering done on campus. Even if the funding doesn’t come directly from the university. If it’s from our own funding that doesn’t come from the unis coffers. If it’s affiliated and on campus, it has to be vegetarian.

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TassieTosser 4 points 3 years ago

The last time I went to a vegetarian event, I ate nothing but tempura mushrooms, cheese and crackers. Time for some malicious compliance because a lot of tasty deep fried junk is "vegetarian".

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baconmash 6 points 3 years ago

^microwaved^ ^potato^

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6368_39162 3 points 3 years ago

Literal hell in all likelihood. I once was vegetarian and despise mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, and am very meh about tofu. Good luck out there.

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omoikiri 4 points 3 years ago

I have nothing against vegetarian options. Especially because it’s just for catered events. I’m not sure how I feel about the forced compliance bit

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oztrin 2 points 3 years ago

You sound like my ex. Added to which she wasn't keen on tomatoes and anything spicy.

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Force_majeure122 3 points 3 years ago

That's ridiculous, and begs the question (playing devil's advocate): why not Vegan?

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omoikiri 4 points 3 years ago

I would venture that the cost will come into the argument (though they won’t admit it). Vegan options are often more expensive.

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Thornburywitch 3 points 3 years ago

Providing one default option that is edible for a lot of demographic groups. Like goat meat - not forbidden by any religion except the vegetarian/vegan group. Saves providing a billion different choices of edible to suit all the demographic groups and allergies etc. More sensitive and reduces waste. And vego food has come a long way from the bad old days of carrot & raisin sandwiches only. If you have to pick one choice only for catering, this is probably the least offensive one.

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6368_39162 4 points 3 years ago

Vege does very little about most allergies. Meat allergies aren’t at all the most common, excluding shellfish.

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Mittens_meow 3 points 3 years ago

Anyone with ibs or fructose intolerance won’t be happy. Legumes and fibre isn’t always healthy

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omoikiri 3 points 3 years ago

Their argument is that it’s better for the environment. I get it, I do. They’re really pushing the sustainability stuff. We haven’t been allowed to use any single-use plastics in the catering for a few years, and I’m all for stuff like that. But this just seems a bit like virtue signalling to me. Let the people have their meat. The only way you can entice people into giving up their time for conferences and seminars is with the promise of wine and food.

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just_kitten 1 point 3 years ago

I imagine this is some kind of radical climate action??

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WeatherproofMonkey 3 points 3 years ago

If that’s the case, they would have gone full Vegan I reckon. Go hard or go home lol

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omoikiri 2 points 3 years ago

Their statement is that it is to be in line with the university’s sustainability goals, and research coming from our own institution is saying that it’s bad for the environment. So they’ve got to back themselves up, I guess

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