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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1995)
The Battalion H^Movember 22, 1995 Aggi e life 3 Tofu or turkey? Bianksgiving causes some students to look the other way tyLibe Goad [Hf Battalion ,aul and Linda McCartney face the same question that vegetari an students do when they head tie over Thanksgiving break — at do you eat for Thanksgiving din- when you don’t eat meat? *i^_fhe McCartneys offer their meatless JVf i tuguestions through Linda’s two vegetari- injcookbooks and as cartoon vegetarian ’ •me idvocates on The Simpsons, ted to Up tu dents answer the same question to tvercoming traditional Thanksgiving neat-eating, some facing acceptance and ■ ithers the pressure to conform. it8toW ason ^ rae b er » a senior journalism najor. and a former vegetarian, said he bund that avoiding meat on Thanksgiv- jng made for an uncomfortable situation. Wit was a ridicule thing for some of my llisins,” Graeber said, “and my parents feere kind of embarrassed for me.” ^■Despite the commentary on his diet, rpySraeber tried to avoid making a scene t vl jver his meatless convictions. WYou be as quiet as you can so you linner|on’t draw attention to the fact that ise [ rou’re not eating meat,” he said. “Plus, it’s Thar i pain in the butt to explain to everyone ar, B vhy you are not eating meat.” day ^■Graeber stuck to his vegetable diet ?xas ,hal year, feasting on bean and mush- casserole, dressing with broth and nberry sauce. He said his family did notice what he put on his plate and, he end, it was Thanksgiving as usual. We still sat down to watch the football le,” he said. Others face similar pressures during holiday meals and push aside their vege tarian ways to forgo family questioning. Karen Grazziadio, a Blinn College nursing student, lets down her guard during the meal and succumbs to fami ly expectations. “There are pressures, so I’ll eat a little piece of meat to keep everyone happy,” Grazziadio said. Vegetarian Thanksgiving meals have a definite place in American culture. The multiculturalism of the country guaran tees that Thanksgiving is celebrated with different foods, including meatless ones. In grade school, children learn the tra ditional Thanksgiving meal centers around large roasted turkeys and ham accompa nied by mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. That’s tradition. Some Italian families substitute ravioli for the “traditional” Thanksgiving fare. Raj ani Nair, a senior civil engineering major, comes from one such family and has happily eaten a non-flesh Thanksgiv ing meal since she was a little girl. “Since I’m Indian, it’s easy to have veg etarian meals,” she said. “So we just eat Indian food for Thanksgiving.” Rice and beans, mashed potatoes and other vegetables make up the bulk of Nair’s typical Thanksgiving meal. She said that she faces no pressure from her family to eat meat, since all of them are vegetarians. Nair said she imagines that other eth nicities face problems finding substitutes for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. “Non-Indians really have to search to find foods to eat,” she said. Stephanie Yarbrough, a senior civil engineering major who became a vege tarian in 1988, had an easier time than she expected. After Yarbrough switched to eating meatless meals and cutting down on dairy products, she went home expecting many questions. She told her mom about her diet change, and her mom decided to stop eating meat soon after. For Yarbrough, staying true to the veg etable lifestyle during the holidays takes little effort. Yarbrough said she and her mom stick to eating vegetables and a German entree made from dumplings and sauce. “Everything but the turkey,” she said. She also faces little pressure to eat meat at other people’s homes. She said they often make an extra veg etarian entree. But some families don’t accommodate others’ vegetarian diets. “I’ve had other friends that when they go home and they’ve been a vegetarian, their parents tried to convert them back to eating meat,” she said. Thanksgiving without turkey does not have to be less enjoyable, and the alterna tive does not have to be tofu. Vegetarian magazines offer help. Natural Health, a nationally circulated magazine, plans out a vegetarian buffet for the holiday. Vegetarian Gourmet fea tures an article on cooking a six-course vegetarian meal. And from the cover of Vegetarian Times, the McCartneys’ smiling faces en sure that they will hold vegetarian’s hands through a meatless holiday season. or every winner, there's a loser (me) Amy Uptmor Columnist anna know what I got in my Christmas stocking last year? Lottery tickets. I suppose it was a nice sen- iment, but it was a fairly vorthless gift since I won a whopping $1 off the 10 tickets )S\hy parents so proudly gave ne. Since my parents think l 'b; he lottery is the single greatest thing to in r 3 ver happen to Texas, the tickets being the only thing in my stocking did not surprise me. ex P r f|rm not a big fan of the lottery. I 1 ac( lrarely buy tickets. What can I say, I’m a poor college student. And when I do no" blow my last dollar on a scratch and win, I inevitably uncover no matches at all. Evan Zimmerman, The Battalion cey Turney, a sophomore at A&M, holds soon-to-be winning lottery ticket. Maybe I’m just bitter because I haven’t won, but this whole Texas Lottery thing has gotten out of con trol. I have reasons that extend beyond my bitterness. For starters, I find myself having dreams about killing Scratchman — especially since that new commercial came out where he blows himself up like a bal loon. What I wouldn’t give to be near him with a needle at the end of those 30 seconds. I’m rather sad that my tax dol lars have that freak on salary. I’m also tired of always being really low on gas on Saturday nights when the jackpot is an estimated $50 million. You can’t fight your way to the counter as the clock slowly approaches 10 p.m. And I’m a little bit worried about my friends and relatives that have devised twisted rituals in the name of winning the lottery. My mother, in typical natural fashion, uses all of our birthdays as her lucky numbers that will someday bring her millions. One of my friends uses the numbers from a fortune cookie she received. I’m not sure, but I guess it was a really good fortune cookie. Anyway, I’ve learned better than to watch the television at 10 p.m. when my parents are around. They’ve warned me that the penalty for making them miss the lottery numbers is death. I was an adamant supporter of the lottery when it was up for the vote in Texas. A little gambling never hurt any one, or so I thought. I still support the lottery, but it has developed a strange subculture that vaguely resembles bingo junkies, and that scares me. The lottery phenomenon reminds me of the movie One Crazy Summer. If you haven’t seen it, you should. The story involves an insane uncle that locks himself in his bedroom every summer and stays awake night and day, strung out on coffee and cigarettes, lis tening to the radio for his chance to win a $1 million giveaway. Needless to say, by the end of the summer, this guy is in the bell jar. I can’t help but wonder if the lottery hasn’t produced a similar crea ture, hidden somewhere in the back- woods of Texas. For those who have played the lottery and won, I heartily congratulate you. The system has worked for you. But for those who find themselves mortgaging their homes with the philos ophy that when they win the lottery, they will be able to pay it off tenfold, my unsolicited advice is this — seek help. The lottery is fun to play and is some times — about one time in a million — quite profitable. The rest of the time, it serves only to drive people crazy. 22 Brides Tonight 22 Brides, a rock band from New York City, is performing at the Dixie Theatre. The band was started in 1991 by two sisters, Carrie and Libby Johnson. The band has toured throughout the East Coast, attracting a large following. The band released a self-titled album last year. One of the album's tracks, "King For A Day," tells a story from the viewpoint of a serial killer, including the things he says to women before he murders them. Sinister Sirens, a rock band from Houston, is opening. Singer / Songwriter Night, an open mike night, is at 3rd Floor Cantina. Friday Firecreek, a country and western band, is performing at the Texas Hall of Fame. Red Eye, a bluegrass band from Austin, is performing at 3rd Floor Cantina. Two Paces West, a classic rock band, is performing at Sweet Eugene's House of Java. Saturday Mike Cancellare, an acoustic performer, is playing at Sweet Eugene's House of Java. Peeping Tom, a rock and alternative band, is performing at The Tap. F,l)IT0* F.DIT0I )«Ei# life S*' Edito* ison, jmyk othani Nance. ! in, W* BroWi> Lydia f ONIStt (J loyle lyers,' iiersily' 845-: l by , Ford maid a” -kupL year an W5-2f' lhefa |L s (excel -1 lass pes 8 'exas^ 1 All day long, bakes fresh, hot, authentic, New York-sty le bagels. (No, it doesn’t mean they’ll be thrown at you.) What are Bruegger’s fresh, hot authentic, New York-style bagels doing in a nice place like College Station? They’re delighting customers all day long. Because they’re baked fresh all day. Our bagels are the real thing. Made with pure, all natural ingredients. Kettle-boiled, the traditional way. And baked on a real stone hearth. What’s more, even though our bagels may taste like you’re in New York, they’ll be served with a smile. Try getting that in Manhattan. Bring this coupon to Bruegger’s and get one authentic, old-fashioned bagel with cream cheese for free. 1703 Texas Avenue — Culpepper Plaza 409-694-8990 FAX 409-693-7873 Mon-Sar: 6:30 am - 7:00 pm — Sun: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm RRUEGGER'S BAGELS Baked fbesw ^ 'Totally, completely obsessed s Not valid with any other offer. One per customer please. Offer expires 12-5-95 CB 115 Floppy Toe’s Last chance for a One Year Membership. Expires 1 2-31-95 FREE Games, Microsoft Office, Aldus Pagemaker, and many software 1705 Texas Avenue in Culpepper Plaza College Station, Texas 77840 693-1706 AGS, THE STERLING C. EVANS LIBRARY NEEDS YOUR HELP In order to restore an orderly, inviting environment for serious study and reflection, spot checks for food and drink will be scheduled at the Evans Library beginning November 27. Entry to the library with food and drink will not be permitted. This policy is also in effect during extended hours beginning December 3 and will be rigorously enforced.