{"id":109551,"date":"2020-02-19T13:53:44","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T12:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=109551"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:42","slug":"new-vegan-student-association-is-not-just-about-having-fun-together-we-have-activist-plans-as-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/02\/19\/new-vegan-student-association-is-not-just-about-having-fun-together-we-have-activist-plans-as-well\/","title":{"rendered":"New vegan student association is not just about having fun together: \u2018We have activist plans as well\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new student association has been added to Rotterdam\u2019s supply of clubs: a vegan student association named VSA Rotterdam. This organisation was founded by a small group of vegan students, but you don\u2019t have to be a vegan to join. The association welcomes all members. At present, VSA Rotterdam has 25 members, but they hope to increase this number over the next few years. Who are they, and what are they seeking to achieve? President Adriana Banda Dias explains.<\/p>\n

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The launch of VSA Rotterdam at the Sustainability Hub.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVSA<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Congrats on your new association. How did it all begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks! One day my friend Zeynep and I were discussing the fact that our campus lacked a vegan society where vegans such as ourselves can meet other vegans. Some other student towns do have such associations \u2013 for instance Groningen, Nijmegen, Amsterdam and Wageningen. They helped us found VSA Rotterdam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still sorting out all the details. For instance, at the moment we\u2019re drawing up an organisation chart and completing the forms we have to submit to the Chamber of Commerce. We hope to be formally recognised by the university at some point. But we didn\u2019t want to wait for all the paperwork to be completed, so we actually launched the association last week with a potluck \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\n\t<\/button>\n<\/span>\n at the Sustainability Hub.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what was that like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a lot of fun. We attracted seventeen very keen students and members of staff who brought home-made vegan dishes. They were delicious. People were exchanging recipes and tips on things such as where to have a good meal as a vegan. And the Sustainability Hub supports us, which is great. They allowed us to use their place for the potluck, even though we\u2019re not a formally recognised association yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVSA<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Why do we need a vegan student association?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a vegan, you sometimes feel like you\u2019re the only one in your social circle. Sometimes people will mock you or refuse to take you seriously. I\u2019m asked all the time: \u2018So, what do vegans eat? Do you eat grass?\u2019 So it\u2019s nice to have a community where, among other things, you can exchange tips and experiences, but also discuss the challenges posed by veganism and do fun things together.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, our board also has a committee that will engage in activism, so VSA is not just about having a good time together.\u201d<\/p>\n

What kind of activism are we talking about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d like to a engender a debate about the vegan lifestyle because we think veganism is very important, not just for the environment and our health, but particularly for animal welfare.<\/p>\n

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