How many chicken facts does it take to make the average Brown student cross the road to vegetarianism? That's what People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals tried to find out on Thursday and Friday with a large-scale informational display on the Main Green.
PETA, in conjunction with Brown's student group Protecting Animal Welfare and Safety, exhibited four 60-square-foot panels on the Main Green covered with graphic pictures and descriptions of chickens' living conditions on factory farms and the methods used to slaughter them. The panels also displayed quotes and photos from famous PETA supporters such as actress Pamela Anderson, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and singer Paul McCartney.
Lorin Tharkness, the college campaign coordinator for PETA, said the display was meant to educate students about how chickens are raised and killed for food.
The literature accompanying the display emphasized the inhumane living conditions of chickens describing them as "crammed ... windowless sheds ... each (chicken) with less space than a standard sheet of paper ... living in their own excrement among corpses of other birds."
"I think most people don't know chickens, for example, have their beaks sliced off with an 800-degree blade, taking their tongues with them," he said. "It's an extremely painful procedure, and most students, when they hear about this type of cruelty, don't want to support it."
The pamphlets also emphasized the intellectual and emotional side of chickens: "Chickens are thought to be at least as intellectual as dogs or cats. When in natural surroundings, not on factory farms, they form friendships and social hierarchies, recognize one another, and love their young."
Tharkness said that in addition to the animal welfare issues, vegetarianism is better for human health because it prevents heart disease, cancer, obesity and other diseases.
While PETA's videos and pamphlets have information on all types of factory-farmed animals, this campaign focuses on chickens because they "have recently been advertised to youth as a healthier food item when in fact they contain large quantities of cholesterol and saturated fat. They're also very high in pesticides and hormones," he said.
According to PETA's pamphlets, chicken contains as much cholesterol as beef, and a single egg has twice as much cholesterol as a hamburger. Chickens and eggs are also a leading cause of food-related illness, according to PETA's pamphlets.
In addition to educating students about chickens, PETA's display emphasized the ease of becoming a vegetarian.
"You have the power to end the suffering of countless animals. Go vegetarian and save 94 lives a year just by lifting your fork! With all the amazing vegetarian options, it's never been easier to switch to a healthy cruelty-free diet," PETA's display read.
The display included a Vegetarian Starter Kit magazine with health facts and recipes to help students make the transition to vegetarianism.
Sonya Wyrobek '07 said while the display didn't convert her to vegetarianism, "it makes you think about it a little more when you make a decision to eat chickens. It makes you more conscious knowing how they're treated."
But Mary Greene '06 said she didn't think PETA's display on the Main Green was effective. She said reading quotes from Pamela Anderson and other celebrities who thought chickens were mistreated would not make her change her eating habits.
PETA's display moved to Yale University over the weekend and will be going to all the Ivy League universities as well as close to 100 other colleges, Tharkness said.
Tharkness said PETA has other initiatives in addition to the chicken awareness display. He said many Brown students might have received a non-dairy ice cream bar that was handed out on the Main Green several weeks ago. He said PETA will also be holding similar events in the future where students will be able to sample "wonderful vegetarian and vegan food."
