MSU Students Protest Circus, in the President's Office! (PICTURES) March 8, 2010

Posted by Ryan at March 8, 2010 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

You can't say the students didn't warn them. When Michigan State University decided to bring circuses with animals back on campus, after not allowing them in 2009 (maybe because of all that elephant beating and electro-shocking business), students were understandably upset. Petitions were signed; coal was delivered. Clearly, the situation was coming to a boiling point, as they say.

Well, the lid's blown off now.

This past week, students gathered more than 850 petition signatures against the circus returning to MSU. A group of 20 students then marched into the President's Office—up three flights of stairs, chanting, with reporters following them the whole way—to deliver the signatures to her desk personally.

I could go on, but I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking (photo credit: Lindsey Dubey):

VOTE: Which School Has the Best Student Group? February 3, 2010

Posted by Ryan at February 3, 2010 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

As regular blog readers will know, there is no shortage of stellar student groups out there, raising awareness on campus. Unfortunately, there can only be one Libby Award winner each year, so here's a little bit of background info about each of the nominees:

Students Taking Action for Animal Rights (STAAR) at Arizona State University - Frequently featured on peta2, STAAR has made a name for themselves at America's largest university, most prominently in light of the recent outrage over classroom experiments using rabbits, rats, and other animals. The group has delivered more than 1,500 petition signatures to the Provost of the University, demanding an end to the experiments. The organization also hosted peta2's provocative Liberation exhibit last fall, drawing attention to the connections between the oppression of humans and animals.



The Harvard College Vegetarian Society at Harvard University - Promoting vegetarianism at the nation's most prestigious institution, HCVS has kept the issue of animal rights on Harvard students' (larger-than-average) minds, while continuously pushing for positive changes on campus. You'll recall that they recently packed more than 250 students into a lecture hall for a debate titled "Is Eating Animals Ethical?," featuring PETA vice president Bruce Friedrich. The group is also constantly grabbing the headlines of the legendary Harvard Crimson student newspaper, including more than half a dozen separate articles so far this school year.



Bruins for Animals! at UCLA - A campus institution, no issue slips under BFA's radar. Representing a school notorious for being the epicenter of debates over animal experimentation, the group has hosted speakers from PETA and various other animal protection organizations to make sure that the animals' side of the issue is heard. At the same time, they have been campaigning hard for additional vegan dining options on campus—overseeing recent improvements in the cafeterias and using the VegAdvantage program to show their administration how simple eating cruelty-free can be.



VegTerps at the University of Maryland - Starting the school year with a bang, VegTerps made a name for themselves through their efforts to boot McCruelty out of their Student Union—a campaign that has even seen the endorsement of a PETA vice president, who spoke on campus in support of the students. In addition to this campaign though, the group has screened "Earthlings" on campus, hosted vegan bake sales, and generally branded animal rights at every turn.



Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR) at Michigan State University - A previous Libby Award winner, SPAR has a reputation for holding animal abusers' feet to the fire. They successfully stopped a circus from coming to campus last spring, for the first time in over a decade. When they heard that the school was reversing that position for 2010, they didn't take the decision lying down—delivering a sack full of coal to the desk of the University president. Having hosted peta2's Liberation exhibit, two PETA vice presidents, and countless other high-profile events, it's safe to say that virtually every MSU student has heard about the animal rights movement, thanks to SPAR.

So who's getting your vote

Student "Santas" Deliver Coal to College President December 22, 2009

Posted by Ryan at December 22, 2009 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

Growley / cc

With Christmas right around the bend, I thought it might be fun to highlight some campus activism with a decidedly jolly tone this week.

Regular readers will remember the merry pranksters of Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR) at Michigan State University. The campus group had a major victory this year when the University decided not to host circuses with animals on campus for the first time in nearly two decades. Heck, the students even got a prestigious peta2 Libby Award for their efforts.

But alas, the University administration appears to be channeling their inner Grinch this holiday season, because word has it that the circus is coming back to campus next spring—against the wishes of the students.

Not willing to let this clear support for cruelty stand, SPAR president Mitch Goldsmith and his group members decided to pay the University president, Lou Anna K. Simon, a visit, in light of the recent decision—to deliver a bag of coal to her office. Here's how they described the trip:

"This year when Santa is making his list and checking it twice, President Simon will most certainly be on the naughty list ... The concerns of students and community members regarding animal abuse in the circus industry have been ignored.
...
It's going to take more than some cookies and soy milk to convince Santa that President Simon has changed her cruel ways. Santa and students urge President Simon to meet with SPAR and take immediate action against the circus and they remind her to please be good for goodness sake."

Hopefully ... these new pictures will help SPAR prove once and for all that circuses are cruel and unusual for animals.

Liberation Comes to Michigan! (PICTURES) September 11, 2009

Posted by Ryan at September 11, 2009 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

With the fall semester now in full swing, peta2 is really kicking its college campaigns into high gear. We've got tons of exciting events, debates, and surprises planned for the upcoming semester—in every region of North America.

It was Michigan State University though that had the distinct honor of being first—by helping us re-launch our provocative and thought-provoking Liberation exhibit.

The display consists of twelve giant panels, detailing how the same "might makes right" philosophy is used to try to justify cruelty to both human and non-human animals. Atrocities like slavery and child labor were both commonly accepted in their time (and indeed still are in some parts of the world), even though we can all look back at them and recognize how hideous they were. Few people take the critical next step though of looking at the atrocities we're committing towards animals raised for food, clothing, and other industries today. Chickens having their throats slit while still fully conscious. Animals being skinned alive for their fur. How will history judge these acts?

Pretty hard-hitting stuff, right? That isn't all MSU got to talk about though. To really ramp things up, we sent America's favorite rabble-rouser, PETA senior vice president Dan Mathews, to speak on campus at the end of the week!

As usual, we took tons of pictures—for your viewing pleasure:

Pretty incredible, eh?

What do you think—which school should we come to next?

MSU, Circuses, and Iggy Pop...Oh My! April 16, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 16, 2009 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

By now it's well documented that we at peta2 love the Libby-Award-winning student animal rights group at Michigan State University, Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR). They got the circus cancelled from performing on campus for the first time in over a decade, continuously push for additional vegan options in the dining halls, and are even working to expose cruelty inside of MSU's notorious animal testing laboratories.

In fact, they rock so hard, we thought it was about time we paid them a visit. That's why we worked with the group to arrange a highly-publicized speaking event on campus with PETA Vice President, Bruce Friedrich.

We spent the whole week handing out flyers, writing letters to promote the talk in the student newspaper, and chalking on the sidewalks all over campus. The result? The buzz surrounding the event was so was high that attendance was standing room only! More than 200 students, from all backgrounds and viewpoints, packed into the lecture hall to hear Bruce speak.



Of course, it's not just peta2 that's taking notice of the student group's high-profile campaigns. Their campaign to permanently ban circuses with animals from campus has just gained a celebrity endorsement from none other than Michigan native and rock icon Iggy Pop!


Photo Credit: RainCityStudios/CC

In Iggy's passionate plea to the university, he reminds the administrators that "Circus trainers beat, shock, and whip animals such as tigers, bear, and elephants to make them perform tricks, which to the animals are confusing and meaningless." You can read Iggy's full letter by clicking here.

If you haven't already, take a second to join Iggy in asking the MSU Board of Trustees to ban circuses from campus by signing the petition.

Also, make sure to leave your positive feedback for these superstar students below.

VICTORY: Michigan State Student Group Bans the Circus! April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Written by Mitch Goldsmith, the Vice President of SPAR (Students Promoting Animal Rights) at Michigan State University

Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR) at Michigan State University has officially ended their year-long campaign to cancel the annual performance of the Royal Hanneford Circus at the MSU Jack Breslin Student Events Center.

A local organization had been bringing the circus to campus for over a decade which often came unchallenged and unquestioned by students and community members. The Royal Hanneford Circus has routinely failed to meet even minimal standards of care for their animals, and has been cited by the USDA dozens of times for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including for failing to provide animals with proper food, shelter and veterinary care. During the time of their scheduled performance, the Royal Hanneford Circus even employed Tim Frisco, a shamed former Carson & Barnes elephant trainer who was caught on tape savagely beating elephants and instructing others to follow suit.

SPAR took all of this information to the Jack Breslin Student Events Center staff and members of the local organization which brought the circus to campus, in January of 2008 (almost six months before the circus' scheduled performances) during two successive meetings. We requested they review the information provided and follow up with us the following week with assurance that in light of these facts, the circus would be cancelled.

Well, we did not get the answer we had hoped for, and — keep in mind profit is a high priority for the university — they decided to continue with the show, perhaps because they had already received a substantial amount of money for playing host. In the weeks leading up to the circus performance, SPAR attempted to meet with the university president in hopes she would intervene, but we were denied. So now we braced for a battle under the media spotlight instead of behind closed university doors. SPAR created an anti-circus campus Facebook group whose membership swelled to over 1,000 members, bombarded campus dorms and instructions halls with anti-circus leaflets we had made and overwhelmed the student papers with anti-circus editorials and letters to the editor. During all of this, we spoke and made connections with hundreds of students and encouraged them to join us in a picket of the Royal Hanneford's opening night.

With the circus performance underway inside the Events Center, there was another show going on outside the building that got the attention of the media and passerbys alike. Over 80 MSU students stretched out along the entryway to the events center with banners, signs, and enthusiastic slogans against the circus. Nervous Events Center employees and campus police scrambled to understand what was happening as news stations swarmed to interview eager students who had braved the cold to picket the event. While the animals were chained under a tent in the Events Center parking lot, SPAR was able to take a video which showed elephants exhibiting typical signs of severe distress from confinement and lack of enrichment. (This video was taken to university officials with the insistence that they provide the animals with an immediate medical examination — they refused.)

Our protest was a tremendous success, and with the support of the student body and local media, SPAR made an impassioned presentation at the Michigan State University Board of Trustees meeting following the circus' last performance, detailing their cruelty and our efforts to ensure that their 2008 show be their last.

After many successive phone calls, emails and conversations with university representatives, administrators and board members, the animals scored a victory when the university Board of Trustees disallowed animal circuses from performing on campus! As far as we know, MSU is the only campus in the nation to ever institute such a progressive policy!

The local organization pushing the circus onto the university has vowed to bring the Royal Hanneford to another venue in 2010, but we too have vowed to do all we can to make this ban expand to surrounding areas to ensure mid-Michigan stands firm against horrific animal exploitation.

MSU’s SPAR Protests the Circus on Campus! April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Written by Drew Winter, president of "Students Promoting Animal Rights" at Michigan State University.

SPAR's circus demonstration was an excellent success with no major problems, mostly because we knew our rights and were peaceful and positive, while making our statement clear to the public. Authorities will not bother you if you don't break the law, but just in case they want to make a fuss, it's best to know what you can and cannot do. This mostly becomes an issue when attempting to get footage of the animals who are chained up before shows. One clown (who wasn't funny anyway) threatened one of our photographers, but we knew he couldn't catch us wearing those big shoes.

 

 

We stayed out of the way of circus patrons and did not yell or chant at them, instead remaining silent and holding our banners and signs high. We were reminded of why we were there when a dog trainer ran up to us and pleaded that "it's not ALL bad," saying he tries to set an example so that other trainers will treat their animals better.

 

The demonstration received coverage from two news stations and three newspapers, and the MSU Board of Trustees definitely took notice. After 15 years of the circus coming to MSU, the trustees and SPAR are working together to form a policy to ban circuses at MSU for good.

MSU Student Group Takes On The Circus! April 5, 2009

Posted by Ryan at April 5, 2009 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

This entry was written by Drew Winter, President of Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR) at Michigan State University.

Students Promoting Animal Rights (SPAR), led by PETA’s 2007 Sexiest Vegetarian Boy Next Door, is protesting the Royal Hanneford Circus, scheduled to perform at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center this April 11-13. Royal Hanneford employs Tim Frisco, who was famously caught on tape encouraging his peers to seriously harm elephants in training.

To raise awareness on our campus and in our community, SPAR members obtained over 500 signatures from Lansing residents on Valentine’s Day. We asked people to sign valentines entitled “cruelty is not entertainment,” and presented the total stack at our meeting with Breslin officials. Virtually everyone was enthusiastic to sign, so it was easy to get all the letters signed in six hours with just a couple petitioners at a time walking around campus.

Group members also wrote letters to the student newspaper, and President Drew Winter wrote an opinion column illustrating Royal Hanneford’s violations, why circuses abuse animals, and the Breslin’s lack of action. We have contacted all the local media outlets and will be featured in the Lansing City Pulse next week. Perhaps the most effective outreach tool yet has been our Facebook.com group, which has accrued over 1,100 members at Michigan State! We are also using the networking site to plan a poster-making party and a protest on the day of the circus, so stay tuned!

VICTORY: MSU Student Group Bans the Circus! January 16, 2009

Posted by Ryan at January 16, 2009 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 19 ) | TrackBack

In what has been a grueling year-long campaign, the inspirational student group at Michigan State University, SPAR (Students Promoting Animal Rights), has officially banned the circus from coming to their campus!

The campaign has involved extensive protests from students, letters to the editor, and one massive Facebook group, but it was all worth it. The circus has been coming to the school since 1992, but there will be no visit in 2009!

You can read all of the details, straight from the group's Vice President, Mitch Goldsmith, by clicking here, or on the image below.

Also, the story has been garnering massive press coverage all across Michigan, and is really outraging the animal abusers behind the circus. Make sure to check out this local news clip, featuring Mitch himself!


The university is getting a lot of heat from the animal abusers who profit from the circus right now, so please make sure to show your support for the students' historic victory by commenting below!

P.S. SPAR is one of the student groups nominated in this year's peta2 Libby Awards. If you feel that they deserve the title of "Best Student Group", make sure to cast your ballot here!

Crowd Surfing Nugget? October 1, 2008

Posted by Marta at October 1, 2008 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

On our second week out on the college scene we got together with SPAR, the animal rights organization from Michigan State University, to help green their dining halls! Why? Funny you should ask—factory farming is the number one cause of global warming, water, and air pollution. For reals. So the crew at MSU and peta2 road warriors did it up to make a difference.

A special thanks to Drew and Mitch! Get your college active, too.

We also hit up Boston for the weekend, hanging at college fest to kick off the Meat's Not Green campaign. Everyone wanted to party with the nugget.


And of course our crowd surfing nugget!


All of this made these warriors mighty hungry—what's new? So we hit up TJ Scallywaggles, a fully vegan pizza shop with calzones and everything!


More to come soon. Our fall tours are about to kick off with Rise Against, Comeback Kid, and hellogoodbye. Check out our MySpace page for the dates!

Stay Brutal,

Paige