“Meat, glorious meat. What would we do without it?”

Apparently plenty, according to vegetarians on campus.

UVM has a reputation for attracting neo-hippie types, prone to leftist views, dreadlocks, and peculiar eating habits.

The Princeton review even goes so far as to rank the school number one in the nation of “Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging, clove-smoking vegetarians.”

Though this generalization doesn’t apply to many students, there certainly is a large proportion of vegetarian students on campus as compared to other state universities.

Students generally report to being pleased with the selection of foods on campus.

“I can always find something to eat here,” said first-year Anja Jokela, “but I end up buying a lot of prepackaged foods.”

Vegetarian students should avoid this trap by getting to dining halls during meal-times and taking advantage of the many vegetarian specialties.

Favorite hot-spots on campus for fine vegetarian dining include a vegan bar in the Living Learning Center, The Marche. It serves vegan entrees such as crepes, falafels, and burritos, as well as side-salads that differ from day-to-day..

A full mean including entr?©e, side-salad and jade tea or soda is only $4.95, making it economical as well as a healthy, natural alternative to pizza and fries.

Another vegetarian specialty can be found at Cook-commons, with a make-your-own salad bar and wrap station.

For a late-night meal, the Simpson Store grills up a great veggie burger.

Be assured, these tasty patties are cooked on separate grills to avoid contact with meat juices.

The Simpson Store also offers several varieties of soy milk, a big help for on-campus vegans who are stuck with a required meal-plan and may not want to spend money off campus.

For a quick breakfast, grab a soy-shake made by Fresh Samantha, found in Simpson Store, the Marche, and Alice’s.

This is packed with protein, valuable for vegetarians who may be at risk for not getting enough.

If this still doesn’t suit one’s specific needs, the individual dining complex managers are receptive to comments and are quick to answer concerns.

A comments box is located in each dining area, and complaints are quickly answered and posted for the public to see.

For those not interested in the dining hall but don’t have the transportation to go downtown, there is always Slade Hall on Redstone Campus, the residental hall that cooks their own food, and varies different vegetarian and vegan meals.

The students in Slade are always welcoming guests to come over and enjoy the healthy fare.

For those not restricted by a meal plan, head to down-town Burlington for a variety of vegetarian options.

Stock up on prepackaged goodies at the Onion River Co-op to bring back to the dorm, or head to Five Spice Caf?© on Church Street for a sit-down meal with great atmosphere.

For late-night cravings for the best known falafel around, make sure to check out collegiate favorite Ali Baba’s Kabob Shop, located on College Street.

If one is tight on money, get a hummus or veggie sandwich at one of the many delis in Burlington, like the Vermont Sandwich company and Top-of-the-block deli, which features freshly baked, homemade bread.

“Burlington is so veggie friendly it’s not even funny,” remarked Caitlin Steeves, and out-of-town visitor.

“It’s easy to be a vegetarian in a place like this.”