It's not uncommon for students to find Valentine food less than appetizing because they miss mom's home cooking. What if every meal was inedible because everything had meat in it? That was the situation over six years ago before Veggie, the Amherst College Vegetarian Interest Group, was formed.

"[Veggie] originally started because people didn't feel that there were enough vegetarian foods to eat in Valentine; the options were limited," said Veggie president Anne-Marie Witzburg '02. "Veggie was a way for individuals to talk to people in Valentine, to be like a liaison."

Some Veggie changes include the white boards at every station and the mini-fridge that contains vegan milks and cheeses. "You used to have to ask for things like rice milk and have a note from your doctor saying you were lactose intolerant," said Witzburg. "But if you were vegan, then you weren't necessarily lactose intolerant."

"Now, [Veggie's focus is] different because the options [at Valentine] are much greater," added Witzburg. "Our focus has changed to being a resource, a nice place for people to share ideas and a way to expose people to foods that they might not try otherwise."

Veggie events, such as the Veggie Barbeque and the tasting table in the Campus Center, have been popular in the past and frequented by meat-lovers and vegetarians alike. "One of the things we want to do is get more people involved because we can do more fun events that are only possible with more people," said Witzburg. "For example, at the Veggie Barbeque we can make more stuff instead of just veggie burgers and desserts."

"I've enjoyed meeting other 'non-militant' vegetarians and learning more about vegan food," said Stacey Kepler '04.

Another Veggie tasting table, informative table tents and a concert by the Uplifters, a reggae band, is in the near future for Veggie. "I've seen [the Uplifters] play and they're pretty cool," said Witzburg. "They have a kind of socially conscious mission. Five of them are vegan themselves."