peta2 Owns the Northeast (LOTS of Pictures!) October 10, 2009

Posted by Ryan at October 10, 2009 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

As you no doubt noticed, I haven't posted a blog in a little while (just flatter me and say you noticed).

Rest assured, there is good reason. I've been racking up the miles cruising around the Northeast, helping to promote our amazingly-successful "peta2 Presents" events on college campuses!

Most recently, we've spent time on the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania, Vassar College, Penn State University, NYU, and Columbia University—drawing big crowds, starting a buzz, and capturing headlines at every stop!

Check out some of the highlights:

Me and my buddy Ben F., chillin' at the University of Pennsylvania.


PETA's resident animal testing expert, Dr. Alka Chandna, speaking at Vassar.


Did I get your attention yet?


Up to no good, at Penn State.


The massive crowd at Penn State, listening to PETA VP Bruce Friedrich slam the meat industry!


Dr. Chandna, laying into animal experimenters.

Pretty amazing, right?

Want us to come to your area? Don't worry—we're just getting started.

Next week, we're making a surprise appearance at the University of Maryland, to support the student campaign to remove McDonald's from campus. Check out this fun flyer!




So where should we come next? I'm all ears ...



P.S. Remember that debate we hosted at Harvard a few weeks ago? Well, one of the hundreds of students that attended decided to film the event, and posted it to YouTube. If you've got 90 minutes to spare, check it out!

Win An iPod Shuffle By Helping Stop Deadly Training Exercises On Animals! August 26, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at August 26, 2009 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 16 ) | TrackBack

The U.S. military has declared war on animals by burning, stabbing, and shooting them in unnecessary training exercises, and it's time to fight back! Animals need you to enlist in the army of animal lovers willing to speak out against these cruel exercises. If you go above and beyond the call of duty for this mission, you'll be in with a great chance to win an iPod Shuffle (see details below).

Enlist Now
Join the battle for animals by signing the Facebook petition to end military trauma training on animals.

Recruit Your Friends
Click "Ask Friends to Sign" on the petition page to recruit your friends to this cause. The more invites you send out, the more people you will recruit. Tell them how live pigs are shot, stabbed, and burned; live goats have their legs broken with bolt cutters and cut off with shears; and live monkeys are poisoned with harmful chemicals!

Go Home Victorious
The individual who recruits the most petition signatures by September 10th wins the iPod Shuffle (we'll let you know if you're the winner by the 14th).

Share the petition on your Facebook wall, and everywhere else you can. The harder you fight the larger the impact you'll make and the greater the chance you'll go home with an iPod in hand.

Please take action today for all the monkeys, pigs, sheep, and other non-human victims killed in military training. Humane, responsible training is essential in our effort to work towards a peaceful world. Learn more about this campaign at peta2.com/trauma.

Heads up: By entering the contest you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy and the contest terms and conditions.

Good luck, soldier!

Free Stuff Friday: 'Breasts Not Animal Tests' Tank Top! August 14, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at August 14, 2009 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 343 ) | TrackBack

We love boobies! And so does Keep A Breast! That's why we've teamed up with them to create our brand new 'Breasts Not Animal Tests' Tunic Tank. This hot little number lets everyone know testing on animals will not save our precious tatas.

Over the years, billions of dollars have been poured into animal testing yet we still have no cure for cancer in humans. Scientists have only been successful curing cancer in the rats and mice they pump all sorts of chemical garbage into. I mean, I don't have a PhD or anything, but I'm smart enough to know my insides don't look anything like those of a mouse or any other animal these monsters test on.

Not only has animal testing proven itself unreliable, it's just plain wrong. If you're as passionate as I am about putting an end to animal testing, you won't wanna miss out on this week's contest cause we're giving away five 'Breasts Not Animal Tests' tanks! I don't know about you, but if people are gonna stare at my boobs, they might as well learn a little something.

For your chance to win, comment below with what you'd say to an animal experimenter if you ever came face to face with one. Entries must be received by August 21. The five people with the most original comments will be chosen as our winners and notified by August 24.

Just so you know ... by commenting here, you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

GOOD LUCK!

Victory! American Eagle Trashes Glue Traps June 3, 2009

Posted by Ryan at June 3, 2009 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 17 ) | TrackBack

As you may recall, we posted a blog two days ago, discussing how American Eagle Outfitters was using glue traps to kill mice in its stores.

Well, they must have heard you loud and clear, because after learning that animals caught in glue traps die a slow, agonizing death by starvation—often trying to gnaw off their own limbs in a vain attempt to free themselves—the ever-hip and animal-friendly clothing chain has joined other companies such as JP Morgan in swearing off of the cruel traps for good.

Make sure to leave a comment below to congratulate American Eagle on their compassionate decision!

Have You Seen the New "Earthlings" Trailer? May 19, 2009

Posted by Ryan at May 19, 2009 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 11 ) | TrackBack

When Joaquin Phoenix was asked how he felt about narrating the film, he was quoted as saying "Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most. For every one person who sees Earthlings, they will tell three."

This film changes lives forever. It has influenced stars from Ellen Degeneres to NHL hockey star Georges Laraque to stop eating animals, and shows—in great detail—how animals are abused when raised and killed for food, clothing, experimentation, entertainment, and every other industry. Indeed, it is the single most all-encompassing film about animal rights ever made.

Think I'm over-hyping it? Check out this brand-new trailer, and you'll see what I mean!

NOTE: This trailer shows gruesome footage of violence towards animals. You have been warned.

Powerful stuff, eh?

Not surprisingly, Earthlings is the movie that students of all ages want to screen at their schools more than any other. For example, the student group at California State University - Long Beach recently held a screening on campus, and even got the film's director to answer questions afterwards!



Want to organize your own screening? Just drop us a line at peta2@peta2.com, and we'll work with you every step of the way! You can also purchase a copy of the film here.

Hosted a Concert for Animal Rights at Brock University! April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Written by Kimberly Costello, a member of the Brock Animal Rights Club (BARC) at Brock University

I recently spearheaded the organization of an outreach/benefit concert titled "Radio-Action for Animals", with the help of many other members of the Brock Animal Rights Club (BARC). The primary purpose of the event was to raise awareness within the local community about how people can live more compassionate lifestyles and make more informed ethical decisions. Our primary focus was on modern factory farming and promoting vegetarian/vegan diets.

At the event we had outreach tables with display boards and literature on many animal exploitation issues such as factory farming, health/ environmental benefits to veg diets, vegan recipes, battery-cages, anti-fur, animal experimentation, and the Canadian Commercial seal hunt. We also had an amazing free vegan food spread to expose people to different types of vegan foods including vegan pizzas, vegan chili rolls, vegan spring rolls, vegan somosas, breaded tofu fingers, pitas/nachos and dips, and lots and lots of vegan baked goods. The food was catered by a local restaurant that was looking to expand their vegetarian/vegan menu options and many of our club members provided the vegan baked goods.



We also had raffle draws for a cruelty-free (no animal testing, no animal ingredients or by-products) household cleaning products donated by Nature Clean, and cruelty-free/vegan personal care products in addition in addition to free outreach door prizes such as Earthlings/The Witness DVDs, animal rights books, vegan cookbooks, and other vegan/cruelty-free products donated by various companies in the local community.



Lastly, we also recruited 5 local bands representing a wide variety of musical genres to play the event; all bands had at least 1 vegetarian band member.



Overall, the event was very successful. We had over 200 attendees and managed to raise approximately $2000 for an amazing animal charity. We received extremely positive feedback about the vegan food and so we were successful at challenging some of the misinformed preconceived notions about bland/vegan foods. Most importantly we were able to expose people to information about animal exploitation that they perhaps would have never been exposed to otherwise. We can only hope that through making this information easily available to all types of people that we were able to enlighten and empower at least some people to live more compassionate ethical lifestyles.

Fighting for Alternatives to Dissection at Marquette! April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Written by Danika Rahn, a student at Marquette University

I am helping to lead a campaign to implement a Student Choice Policy at Marquette University regarding classes that use unnecessary animal experiments. I wanted to help with the campaign because the root of human kindness is being an advocate for living beings other than us. The issue of performing cruel tests on animals is devastating to me, because it is outdated and unnecessary.

peta2.com

With the help of close friends and a peta2 crew of four members, we have collected over 1,200 petition signatures on campus—more than 10% of the student population!



The petitions are guiding a piece of legislation in the Marquette Student Government that will implement a Student Choice Policy in all undergraduate courses, giving students a written, verbalized choice of being exempted from unnecessary animal testing in class. I hope to be an advocate for giving Marquette students a choice in whether or not they want a more educational, moral alternative to ineffective experiments.

How to Host a Campus Forum! April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

by Jessica Luna, president of the Harvard College Vegetarian Society

Getting tired of the same old tabling and leafleting? Let Jessica show you how to get people really talking—by hosting a campus forum!

Being part of a student animal rights group is a great thing. However, it's easy to fall into the habit of performing the same demos or tabling routine every month and become disheartened from not seeing tangible results. For example, you might feel frustrated because the dining halls won't serve chocolate soy milk and you haven't heard back from the administration about that "Alternatives to Vivisection" proposal you submitted months ago. But before you throw in the towel, consider directing your efforts toward a different kind of activism: Hold an animal rights conference on your campus! There's no better way to reinvigorate yourself for the cause, inspire budding animal rights activists, and meet plenty of likeminded people from your area.

That's what the Harvard College Vegetarian Society did last September, with the help of peta2. More than 70 college and high school students from the Boston area and beyond traveled to Harvard Yard for a day of activism tips, workshops, networking, and camaraderie. Many of them drove for more than four hours from states like New York and Pennsylvania for this event!

Although hosting a conference may seem intimidating, it's surprisingly easy to pull off with a little advance planning and legwork.

1. Scope out a location. Generally, colleges will allow student groups to use rooms for free, so reserve a large and nice auditorium or room that seats at least 100 students and has a clearly visible stage. Reserve a room on the first floor of a building, if possible, so that off-campus people can find it more easily. Secure the room well in advance of the conference, as the best locations will go quickly.
2. Decide on your speakers and presenters! They will be the main drawing point of your conference. Will they be members of your group? Local animal rights activists? Professors at your school that teach or write about animal-related issues? Send them a formal letter of invitation to the conference and include topics that you'd like them to discuss.
3. No animal rights conference would be complete without an abundance of delicious vegan food. Talk to the vegetarian- or vegan-friendly restaurants in your area about providing a catered vegan lunch for the conference; many will be glad to do so at a discounted rate if you distribute their take-out menus at the event or mention their business on your list of sponsors. It's free advertising for them and cheap, tasty vegan food for you and your attendees!
4. Publicize, publicize! Although it's a conference geared toward students, send out e-mail alerts to all animal rights or vegetarian groups in your area. Many of them will attend to learn about what student groups are doing for animals and will provide literature or information about their own organization. You may want to consider setting up extra tables at your event for other groups interested in sharing information and networking. To attract the most people, post fliers about your conference in college hangouts, coffee shops, natural-foods supermarkets, animal shelters … anywhere! In addition, peta2 can give you information about local activists to contact.
5. Materials! You want your activists to leave full of information to give out to others. Give out stickers, fliers, posters, and lists of vegetarian restaurants and resources in the area.
6. End the conference with an inspirational event—if your conference is a two-day event, you could end the second day by volunteering at a local animal shelter or hosting a fundraising dinner. At Harvard, we held a KFC protest in Central Square. It was a great end to an inspirational day; many parents who attended with their high school-age children were influenced to go vegetarian, and others commented that they were going to transition or recommit themselves to veganism at the day's end.

Starting an Animal Rights Club 101 April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

by Eryn O'Neal, Citrus College

Think you're the only one on campus who supports animal rights? Well, odds are there are dozens more people out there as well, just waiting for somebody to show them where to go. Check it out as Eryn and her group, Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, show you how it's done.

1. Make certain you are committed to the cause. Starting an organization from scratch is a lot of fun, but it also takes an ample amount of effort. It takes time, dedication, and passion. If you are devoted to the cause, your club will thrive. Remember, once you take the steps to form a club, it's in your hands to ensure that the club meets the goals set by the organization. Although a club consists of many members, it is usually a handful of really dedicated members motivated by one individual that gets the behind-the-scenes jobs done and enables the organization to be successful.

2. Have an idea of what goals you want to achieve. Do you want to table? Do you want to plan demonstrations? Are you interested in leafleting? Do you want to vegetarianize your campus cafeteria? These are all questions you should consider. You can visit peta2.com for more ideas. You will be more successful if you plan ahead. Adding a club on top of your school, work, and home obligations can get overwhelming, but if you take the steps to organize yourself prior to starting the club, you will be in good shape. Once you have determined what path you would like the club to take, make sure the goal is reasonable. It is better to pour your heart and soul into one project than take on too many and not give them justice.

3. Get ready to recruit. Once you have decided to form a club, the next step is setting up a recruiting plan. A club without members might as well not exist. If you really want your club to be successful, you need to find people who share the same beliefs and similar goals as you do. Most schools sponsor an event where clubs can set up a booth and try to recruit new members. If this is the case, you want to make sure that your booth appeals to everyone. Since an animal rights club's member target is more focused than most other organizations, you want to make sure that you appeal to not only the established animal rights activists but also the student who doesn't know anything about animal rights. If you are handy with a marker or a paintbrush, you can create your own posters and fliers. You can contact peta2.com to request materials to hand out at the event. You can also set up a laptop or television and stream an animal rights movie for passersby to watch. If your school does not host this sort of event, you can create fliers, get them approved, and post them around your campus—just remember to include contact information. Also, keep fliers on hand. You never know when you'll run into someone in the cafeteria eating a Boca burger. Hand out fliers to anyone and everyone.

4. Get informed and know why you do what you do. People want to join your club, trust me. However, many people are uniformed. You need to know your material. Practice what you are going to say ahead of time. It can be stressful to be asked many questions. You will feel more confident if you know your material and have an idea of what you're going to say. Make sure you have a sound bite prepared for people you will most likely run into. You can be almost certain that you will come in contact with established animal rights activists, environmentalists, people who rely heavily on statistics when making a decision, people who know nothing about animal rights, and compassionate people. Do some research and have a sentence or two prepared to dish out in efforts to try to recruit that person.

5. Be friendly to everyone. Activists get a bad rap. Animal rights activists get the worst rap. Many people are unaware of what an animal rights activist is. They make preconceptions that, more likely than not, are wrong. People will turn away when they see that you are promoting animal rights, some will make rude remarks, and some won't even give your cause a chance, all because they are uninformed. You can get a lot more achieved by kindly offering non-threatening information than by screaming and trying to defend your cause. You do not need to defend what you do. Fighting for animal rights is the correct thing to do, and hopefully some day everyone will come to that realization. Put on a smile and get ready to give all the information you can.

Eryn O'Neal is the founder and acting president of Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (SETA) at Citrus College in Glendora, California. She started SETA this semester in hopes of educating students, faculty, and staff of the areas where animals critically suffer. You can reach her at CitrusSETA@gmail.com.

Inspiring Activism From Sarah Lawrence College April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

The name Shakira Croce is familiar to us at peta2 headquarters because she's been a dedicated animal rights activist for years. Shakira is continuing her great work with the student group at her school, Sarah Lawrence College, located just outside New York City. We've been dying to tell you about her work, so check out our interview with Shakira below. When you're done reading it, you'll be motivated to get even more active on your own campus—so drop us a line and we'll help you get started.

How long have you been active for animal rights?
I have been active for animal rights since becoming a vegetarian at age 12 (seven years).

When was your high school group started?
I started Students Promoting Awareness of Animal Rights (SPAAR) my freshman year of high school in Gainesville, Georgia (the poultry capital of the world).



What advice can your group offer other student organizations looking to organize around animal rights at their schools?
There are many ways to reach your peers and many ways to make a difference. A mass movement may begin with one central person who stimulates others to initiate and perpetuate positive change. Being an activist for the animals has been one of the most rewarding activities in my life. Be confident with what you say or write and have plenty of evidence to back up your position. SPAAR is also here for you, if you need any help or ideas.

How are the dining options on campus for vegetarians and vegans?
One of the three dining facilities on campus, the Health Food Bar, only serves vegetarian and vegan dishes. In the other two dining halls, at least half the options are vegan/vegetarian. Like all college food, it can't compare to home meals, but the options are definitely there.

Your school is one of the few that offers a clear dissection alternatives policy. Can you tell us more about that?
I am very proud of Sarah Lawrence for being one of the first and only schools to have a written alternative to dissection policy. Sarah Lawrence prides itself in individualized study, emphasizing the importance of fostering an inherent desire to "approach learning with a sense of meaning and urgency." This fundamental philosophy of the college should be applied to all educational institutions, which must recognize that a student's right to choose whether or not to dissect is integral in the pursuit of knowledge.

What are your favorite resources from peta2?
peta2 has compiled an amazing amount of information, which is accessible online through a variety of multimedia resources (ranging from factsheets to videos to photos). Researching factory farming on peta2's Web site was one of the components that led to my decision to become a vegetarian. I have also experienced outstandingly efficient and compassionate individuals who work for peta2 and who help make peta2's resources accessible and effective.



Which do you like better: Facebook or MySpace?
I'm a member of Facebook, because as an out-of-state student, it's easy to keep in touch with my friends from back home who are also members, but I can't say I really feel strongly either way.

Do you have a favorite musician or celebrity who has worked with peta2?
I really love how peta2 encourages fresh and successful artists/celebrities to speak out for the animals! Some of my favorites are Pink, Paul McCartney, Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, David Beckham, Sugarcult's Marko, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and of course Joaquin Phoenix.

If you were standing face-to-face with the president of KFC, what would you say to him?
The great philosopher Plato once said, "False words are not only evil in themselves, but they inflict the soul with evil." I would then like to confront the KFC president with the facts versus his public lies as outlined on PETA's Web site KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
For more info about SPAAR, visit our Web site at www.geocities.com/animalrightspaar/spaar.html, and I am always happy to offer advice or suggestions regarding any student-activism questions you may have: scroce@slc.edu.