What would the world be like if the right to know was actually enforced at EMU? I'm not talking about the debacle over the university house, the on- going faculty strike, or the recent deaths of two EMU students. The issue was who knew what and when they knew it. I mean, everywhere from the administrative offices to the new Starbucks coffee shop in the EMU Student Center. I am talking about the right to know what we are putting into our bodies.

After seeing a film sponsored by Students for Animal Rights entitled "The Witness," I was re-energized about why I became a vegetarian. The film discussed the gap between how some animals go from furry little creatures to big juicy burgers, or worse, fur trim on the latest fashions, with no accountability for how they got there. The process by which we get our food is lost and the public doesn't see how much pain, suffering, and cruelty goes into making a meal. So, I refrain from killing animals for food. However, this becomes extremely difficult at EMU.

For example, I eat at the EMU Student Center on a regular basis and am disappointed by the fact that several of the restaurants there do not list nutritional information, the staffs are not very knowledgeable about ingredients, and several items offered as vegetarian are in fact cooked in meat or on meat surfaces.

I have been a vegetarian for two years and was informed that after eating at Panda Express, and several other restaurants in the EMU Student Center, I have in fact been eating chicken, without knowing it. Needless to say, this sparked me to want to take action. Moreover, it encouraged me to speak up and let the powers that be know that though we are a small group, vegetarians have a right to know that our health is being compromised for the sake of profit.

For example, I visited Panda Express in the Student Center and ordered vegetable spring rolls. I was disappointed to see that my spring rolls were served on top of a stack of chicken egg rolls. I mentioned to the server that I am a vegetarian and asked if I could have the spring rolls served separately from the chicken egg rolls. She informed me that it was impossible because the vegetable spring rolls and chicken egg rolls we cooked in the same oil. She further shared with me that the numerous chicken items that they serve are cooked in the same oil as their pork items.

This alarmed me mainly because there was no signage that informed the countless customers that, "The food at Panda Express may contain animal products." I was told by the manager that in order to get such a sign, the corporate office would have to place a sign in all of the Panda Express restaurants across the country. For my inconvenience, the manager offered me free food. He clearly missed my point.

This is an issue because, people with dietary restrictions should have a choice of whether or not they are going to compromise their diets by eating items that may contain unwanted ingredients. It should be the choice of the consumer, not the corporate office. With such a diverse community at EMU, we have students with dietary needs that should be considered.

For example, some students, including some Muslim students, don't eat pork. Other students have beef or chicken allergies and some are vegetarians and should be aware of what they are consuming. The restaurants on campus should make a good faith effort to make the community aware of their nutritional information; that is part of having an inclusive, knowledgeable environment.

We have a right to know what we are eating. The university should be more active in making sure that the vendors they allow to do business at EMU provide necessary information that allows the community to make healthy and informed choices. These restaurants should be held accountable for their lack of information. Above all, we as a community should be more aware of these types of issues and stop allowing our right to legitimately know be infringed upon.