Walking down the halls of the gymnasium of Anna Whitlock, you can't help but notice all the pizza cartons, yoghurt cups and protein shakes lying around. Sharpen your ears and you'll hear students complaining about being served yet another vegetarian sausage. At the same time, newspapers keep reporting more about the perks of vegetarianism. It's oftentimes healthier and it is way more sustainable for the climate and the animals. Is the gymnasium right for serving solely vegetarian food, or was that decision too radical? I decided to dig deeper into this topic by interviewing different students to find out their opinion.

I found my first exhibit at the gym where I overheard two guys talking about their school lunch. One of them goes to Anna Whitlock, so I decided to interview him.

Q: Do you eat a lot of meat?

- Well yeah, I would say I eat meat every day. My school only serves vegetarian food, but I usually go to the supermarket and buy my own lunch.

Q: How come you do that?

- As you can see, I like working out, and protein is essential for building muscle. There simply isn't enough protein in the stews and stuff I get served at school, and I never feel full after eating the school lunch.

Q: What are your thoughts on vegetarianism? Have you ever thought about becoming vegetarian?

- I get that some people are vegetarian, because it is good for the environment and stuff. But I've never been curious or had a thought of becoming vegetarian myself. Besides, there are enough vegetarians in the world already, so I'll keep on eating my steaks.

There seems to be an increasing meat consumption which strongly correlates with the rising popularity of fitness and bodybuilding. The ideal look right now, for both men and women, is being fit and lean, and this has affected people's diets. Right now, we are living in a protein-manic society, and now you can buy everything from protein chips to protein water. It wasn't like that just a few years ago, because then the focus lay on incorporating more vegetarian meals in your diet. Some people started falling back to eating meat as protein became more "mainstream", but multiple people stood their ground and are still vegetarian. One of those people is my vegan friend, and classmate Ellen.

Q: What were your reasons for becoming vegan?

- I've always been an animal lover, and I would never dream of harming an animal for my own sake when there are other alternatives. Honestly, I think it's quite selfish to eat much meat when it comes with so many consequences. Of course, the climate aspect, but also because of the meat industry. They raise livestock under ridiculously bad conditions and treat the animals like they're worthless. I could never support that.

Q: Ever since you started going to Anna Whitlock, have you noticed a change regarding being vegan?

Yes, I've noticed multiple things that differ from my past schools. For example, there are a lot of other vegans and vegetarians at this school and that makes me feel accepted and less questioned which is relieving. The lunch here is also much better. I used to get served the same vegetable patties every day, unless they forgot about me. Now, there is a vegan alternative to the main dish in the buffet every day. I don't have to ask the kitchen staff to bring me my food.

Q: Would you ever eat meat, or any animal product, again?

- No, never. I don't think I've ever reconsidered my decision to go vegan.

Both people I interviewed were two extremes - one meat lover and one strictly vegan - and there is a broad spectrum between them. There are many individuals who are more neutral to the topic, and who eat both vegetarian and animal protein. What I've noticed from my investigation is that there is a difference between the groups considering why they think vegetarian food is advantageous. If you eat meat more frequently than not, chances are your knowledge of the effects of meat consumption are slim. People who avoid meat seem to have a broader, more detailed knowledge. Multiple people in the middle of the spectrum have a more neutral opinion towards the school lunch as well, e.g. one girl who says she misses meat sometimes, but at the same time she can eat whatever she wants at home, and the school lunch would probably not taste better if it contained meat.

So, is Anna Whitlock in the wrong for not serving meat? This question goes much further than what I’ve written about in this article. If I were to answer this question, I’d say that my gymnasium has made a brave choice that doesn’t necessarily please every student, but takes the more important aspects into account. I’ve never heard of a school where all the students are pleased with the lunch serve, so why has this become such a central topic at this school? The gymnasium is doing a good thing in the long run, and setting an example that’ll surely inspire other schools to become vegetarian in the future. Besides, if you’re very hungry (and picky), the supermarket is only a short walk away.