From: Prof. Steven Varela [UTEP]
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 11:45 AM
Just wanted to say "Thanks" for the presentation Tuesday. The students responded extremely well, as always. I meant to tell you also, that the new video had a huge impact. I loved the fact that the sanctuary was included.
From: Prof. Cynthia Ganote [St. Mary's College in CA]
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 6:06 PM
Thanks *so* much for doing the presentation in my Social Problems class today! I thought it was *extremely* effective, and it left me and my students with a *lot* to think about. I really appreciate your generosity!
From: Teacher Jennie Smith [Hialeah High School in FL]
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 6:17 PM
I'm a teacher at Hialeah High School in Miami, where you lectured this past week; I brought my students to your assembly. I just wanted to thank you for coming and for talking with us. Your lecture did make a big impression on many of them; I have taken other classes to two different "presentations" in the past month (on extremely different topics, granted) and yours is the only one where the children actually left the assembly discussing what they had heard (other than just making fun of the speaker). There was some debate, a lot of thoughts and feelings...it was obvious that they had been provoked to think about it, whether they end up actually making any immediate changes or not. So for that alone, thank you. As for myself, I am an animal-lover, with 3 cats at home (all strays) and abhor the idea of cruelty to them; the slaughterhouse footage was appalling and stomach-churning, and seeing that makes it very hard to think about eating meat. To be quite frank, I had a strong feeling that I would be easily convinced to go back to being vegetarian before I went to your lecture (knowing what your lecture would be about) since the idea of butchering and eating animals when it is not necessary for our survival was something that, as I said, I had already been quite conflicted about and only avoiding giving it much thought enabled me to continue eating meat. However, I very strongly doubted that anyone could ever convince me to give up dairy. (Eggs I have never much cared for; but, like you said during the presentation ... CHEESE). So congratulations! After your lecture, I have been effectively convinced to try going vegan. It's my 5th day. So far, so good, Thank you once again for the enlightening lecture. Know that you have made one more convert! Keep up the good work, and keep changing hearts and minds.
From: Teacher Michel Estopinan, Michel [Hialeah High School in FL]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 1:29 PM
My pastor suggested that next time you come, if you stay over a Sabbath, you could present at the church. At the church we can create an invite card and see if we can include some other churches. I spoke about you with my adult ESOL students, they would love to attend your next conference so I am going to keep those names for your next visit and see if we could put an open to public event together, or better yet, see if through the bilingual department for adult education and the parents academy we can do something in different night schools as well in an official way (we can basically do it related to the plant based diet alternative to healthy living-consumer education-compassionate treatment, of animals and the effects of factory farming on the environment) . I hope I can keep you on our School's Humane Honor Society Club guest speaker's schedule, so that you may come every year. Next time you are in Miami, I would like to invite you over for dinner and talk some more. I hope the rest of your lecturing tour goes as successful as I believe Miami was. Thanks once more for what you do to make the world a better place for all its living beings.
From: Teacher Jeffrey Dearing [Miami Springs Senior High School]
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 10:04 AM
We cannot thank you enough for your outstanding presentation. The kids are still buzzing about it and sharing the experience with their friends. I'm afraid we may have to ask you to address an auditorium full of kids when you come back in the spring. You changed some lives yesterday.
From: Prof. Joe Krylow [Cecil College in MD]
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 3:50 PM
Thanks again for speaking to my students. I know you're going to change some of their lives like you've changed mine. When I talked to my brother Damion Saturday morning he said he had been up most of the night thinking about your speech. I know that your words were not lost on him and that he has realized that "there is nothing wrong with a little kindness and compassion for our animal brothers and sisters." My mom said he was quoting your speech yesterday as she took him to the airport, and that when she asked him if he wanted to get a crab cake before he left he declined, proudly showing her the vegan jerky we had bought from the co-op earlier in the day. Expect an email from him sometime soon.
From: Prof. Michael Johnson [U. of Central Florida]
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 9:24 PM
thanks again for coming into our class, we begin the ethics component tomorrow and your work will help us considerably as we discuss differing ethical perspectives, the relationships between ethical beliefs and action, and the many ethical dilemmas public school teachers face today as we try to do our work embedded in contemporary American society and culture with their dominant power relations and mostly unexamined values. Teaching another section of this class in the Spring in Orlando so I'll get in touch soon.
From: Prof. Jane L. Henning [U. of San Diego]
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 2:14 PM
Thanks for coming again to USD and lecturing to my Animal Law class. As usual, I think you were quite effective in making the students think about some very important issues.
From: Prof. John Burris [U. of Central Florida]
Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2009 10:10 PM
Subject: Thought you might want this e-mail from Courtney Lynch, a former student of mine
Thank you very much! I agree that animal rights is a very important issue. I am trying to make Gary's lecture a large event and invite my two honor societies and a few others, as well as on-campus organizations related to animals. Please, please keep inviting him to speak to your classes. He had the most impact on me out of everything I learned while at UCF!!
From: Prof. Andrew Domzalski [Madonna U. in MI]
Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 3:04 PM
Thank you again for speaking last week to our students at Madonna University. They all really liked you presentation. Some of them gave me their permission to share their reactions with you:
This lecture was both extremely controversial and truthful, what Gary spoke about was hard to listen to but necessary in the end. I will have to admit that I was completely skeptical when it came to this speaker. I didn't think he would have anything to offer me except a radial point of view. I was definitely proved wrong. After watching "Meet your meat", it would be an understatement to say that I was "scared for life", but after this speaker I realized that not only was the consuming of meat hard for me emotionally but hard for my body physically. Being a nursing student, osteoporosis and heart disease are two aspects of health that I hear a lot about. Gary showed how our society has been, not only consuming, but over consuming meat products and meat causing increased chances of heart disease due to cholesterol and the constant strain on our bodies on how to break down animal meat. I would go so far to say that I agreed with Gary on the aspect that our species wasn't meant to eat meat, but we have turned it into something that has been catastrophic to our society and health. The constant breakdown of this animal protein and the need for calcium from our bones to complete this task is very true, which is why calcium and vitamin D are huge necessities in people's lives today, to replace what has been taken out by our lifestyles and diet. What put me over the edge was the somatic cell count that Gary explained about and what was actually in our milk. Being lactose intolerant I very rarely drink milk, now it will be something that I never do from extreme disgust. I even looked this statement up on the FDA website and there it was. So far I have not been able to disprove one statement that Gary told our class, showing me that he was exactly what he said he was, a truth giver. This speaker changed my life on the path of becoming a vegetarian at least; I hope to get to being a vegan soon after altering my lifestyle.
Gary Yourofsky was an engaging and captivating speaker who shocked me in many ways. If someone had suggested to me that, by the end of his lecture I would be seriously considering veganism, I wouldn't have believed it. Gary made me question my behavior and attitude towards animals even more than the "Meet Your Meat" film. When he equated eating meat to a form of discrimination, that connection affected me deeply. It pains me to see people treating other people poorly based upon religion, skin-color, sexual orientation etc. I realize now that I cannot hope to avoid all forms of discrimination while still eating meat. The nasty attitude towards animals we transition to so easily after our childhood is fed to us through marketing campaigns and various other forms of propaganda. It is amazing that we adapt to these practices so effortlessly, but it makes sense considering how impressionable young people are. Eating meat is also a learned behavior from the parents. The child assumes his parents are exhibiting correct conduct. I really believe in this cause now. There are so many reasons not to eat meat including the effect it has on our bodies, the horrendous treatment of animals, the variety of good-tasting vegan food, the adverse reaction of our meat-eating practices on the environment etc. Although I now understand the reasons I would choose veganism or vegetarianism, I also know how difficult the journey will really be.
Our guest speaker for the week was amazing. Gary was a true treat. I was so caught up in his intense and sincere passion that he exhibited toward veganism and caring for animals. I have been talking about his presentation ever since Wednesday and I can not help but to exhibit some of that same passion that poured from him, while speaking about him. I think that this course is truly a wake up call for society and that Gary should have his own television series or something so that he can continue to spread the knowledge that he has in regards to being vegan. What captivated me about him was that he not only spoke from an ethical perspective, but also from a religious and scientific perspective as well. This holistic knowledge that Gary exhibited is what really sold me on looking into his views and learning more about what it means to truly care for all of God's creatures.
I absolutely enjoyed listening to Gary speak to our class, and I can see why you continue to have him as a guest speaker. Gary is a motivational speaker that can relate to us on a "college" level. First off, Gary was hilarious and I loved the humor he brought into it. The main thing that I was amazed by was how INTELLIGENT he is. He really knows his information, and was quick to back up any argument that meat-eaters might have. What I liked about his speech was that he brought up the opposing view and was able to back up his arguments. This speech was not just one-sided; he is well aware of the arguments of meat-eaters and is ready to debate any topic they may bring up. That is what it takes to persuade people, and that is what he did. Another thing I really liked was that Gary is an activist. He brings the sociological perspective into all of this. He talked about how people act like they are all about "peace and love," yet when it comes to animals they don't practice what they preach. Saying you are opposed to something or against something is one thing, but actually practicing it is another. I always thought of myself as a "peace and love" sort of person, but after him explaining this I felt like a hypocrite. I had no idea that eggs are hens' menstrual cycle, and that honey is bees' vomit. That really grossed me out and definitely will make me think twice about eating them in the future. I also had no idea that there is such a thing as vegan meat--meat where no animals had to suffer. I thought that was awesome. I always thought that vegan food consisted of things I didn't like to eat, but him showing us the variety of choices that is out there has made me want to try veganism. I believe for me it will not be an overnight thing, but it is something I am willing to definitely try. After hearing all of the possibilities, how can I not?
I truly do believe that people seriously have their blinders on. After hearing Gary speak I was so motivated to make a difference, and attempted to talk to some of my friends about it, but unfortunately they didn't want to hear it. The problem is that people are so closed-minded that they don't even want to hear it. It was ironic because all the arguments my friends had were the same arguments that Gary talked about and BACKED UP. So I was able to debate what they were saying. If anything, I learned a lot from Gary's visit and I am doing my best to spread the word and slowly but surely make the transition myself. Thanks for having such an awesome speaker!
At first I was a little put off by Gary. I had already committed myself and was practicing vegetarianism before he came to talk to us, but I couldn't understand his brashness and "preachy" or so I thought, attitude. But as the presentation went on I felt totally compelled by his presentation and ultimately thought that he made some pretty good points. When he said that people cringe and make comments about vegan diets saying things like, "That's absolutely disgusting" or "That sounds so unappealing", I totally understood where he was coming from. But really...what is more unappetizing than a dead carcass composed of blood, muscles, ligaments, etc. that is cooked and ready to eat. Since I have told people that I am choosing to become a vegetarian I have gotten comments like, "Wow, you are really becoming indoctrinated by this stuff, aren't you?" and "Yea I love animals...they're delicious!". Ultimately I know the reasons why I have chosen to become a vegetarian and therefore have to be comfortable with being made fun of since I am going against the mainstream attitude. I commend Gary for sticking to his values when so many people are set on dragging him down. That says a lot about his character!
Gary Yourofsky was a "right-in-your-face" enthusiastic speaker. His lecture was so informative that it really made me sit up and think. I only thought of vegans as abstaining from meat. I had no idea that it can also include what you wear. I know of people who are against wearing fur, but I had not even considered wearing leather as the same thing. He brought up so many valid points in regards to animals. For instance, children are raised up watching animals, reading about animals, having stuffed animals and naming animals. We naturally love them and are fascinated by them. That is why we go to zoos and animal attractions. The video we watched was horrific. Even though I presently eat meat, I find the cruel treatment and torture of these animals to be sadistic. I wonder what type of people could torture any living creature without cause. Even to supply meat, it does not require beating and torturing of these animals. Another valid point was how our bodies are made up as herbivores and not as carnivores. Our teeth, digestion and intestines are not made for eating and digesting meat. Another valid point is we should eat our nutrients directly, instead of feeding them to the animals and getting it through them. I had not even considered that is what we have been doing. Gary says veganism seems extreme, but the fact is, meat eating is extreme. I am seeing things in a completely new light and am considering at least vegetarianism. One-step at a time. My husband, on-the-other-hand, will need a little more convincing.
I was very moved by Gary's speech on veganism. I totally agree with hi view that we have blinders on. My mom won't even listen when I try to talk about animal abuse because she just wants to remain ignorant to what is really happening. I am going to slowly make the transition to vegetarianism, but because I'm in college I can't really afford to just throw out all of my food. However, I am going to buy the vegetarian food after this. I also think that he was right that we are healthier when we eat vegan.
I must admit that when the speaker started his talk yesterday, I was a little put-off. He was very brash at first and it didn't appeal to me. I thought he was just going to preach for an hour so I was not very receptive to what he had to say. He said upfront that he was not there to convert us or tell us how to live our lives. Even as he said that, I thought "Yeah, right. Converting me to veganism is exactly what you're here to do." After about 10 minutes, though, I decided to just open my mind and listen to what he had to say. I am so glad that I did. I already knew much of what he had to say but the new information was very enlightening and helpful. I never stopped to realize that all of our cholesterol comes from animal products and that eating these animals is actually killing us in different ways. I come from a family loaded with heart disease and cholesterol problems so those issues were already a concern for me. Seriously reducing my risk of heart disease by cutting animal products out of my diet seems like a pretty good trade-off to me! Even though I've tried (and enjoyed!) different vegetarian/vegan products before (like meat substitutes), I was still one of those people who thought that vegans were missing out on so much. Hearing about all of the new products on the market and how much better they are compared to years ago was really encouraging and good to know. Becoming a vegetarian or vegan seems a lot more possible now than it did before listening to this talk. So I have decided to make the change. I'm going to start by becoming a vegetarian, since I am nowhere near ready to cut cheese out of my life! I'm going to try the vegan cheese he recommended, though, and see how I like it. Even though it's a small step, I believe that it's not only going to make a big difference in my health and but also in the lives of a few animals that would have died for me to have a meal.
From: Prof. Zeke Finkelstein [CCNY]
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 9:33 AM
Thanks for the talk. Responses have been very positive. Will ask the students when we meet today to do the survey.
From: Prof. Jacklyn Janeksela [CCNY]
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 9:48 AM
It was nothing shy of a pleasure to meet you and to be witness to your wisdom and kindness. No doubt I will be requesting you to return to City College for my future classes. Thanks for enlightening me and my students. I'm convinced you made an impact on every single student, though it might take longer for some of them to come to the light side. I've been kicking your knowledge to my other classes and my family. And I've convinced my mother to stop drinking milk. One step in the right direction is better than no steps at all. I've also emailed my father, a devout Christian, your essay on The Bible and Jesus and can't wait to hear what he has to say. Best of luck fighting for all of God's creatures.
From: Prof. Bill Crain [CCNY]
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 2:42 PM
Several are trying to become vegans and several got into a heated discussion two days later. They thought you did a great job.
From: Prof. Cheryl Baker Heller [UTEP]
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 10:20 AM
Thank you for such a great lecture. I'm not sure if I'll be teaching a section in the fall, but I plan to teach again in the spring. I look forward to seeing you again.
From: Prof. Ronnie Hawkins [UCF]
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 4:05 PM
I have had a few students tell me that they have gone vegan since your talk. Keep up the good work!
From: Professor Whitney Bauman [Florida International U.]
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 1:42 AM
Thanks so much for coming to speak to my classes, and for the public lecture that you gave. I really appreciate it and love your style of presentation. On a personal note, I have been a vegetarian since 1996, and your talk has inspired me to go further in my eating habits. I am going to commit myself to at least not buying anymore "free range eggs" and "free range cheese" products. Let me know if I can ever help your cause in some way.
From: Prof. John Burris [UCF]
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 4:53 PM
You. You KICKED ASS. LOTS of great new data. Just a great bunch of intellectual, and existential, events. Excellence. How are you getting funded -- and what is the prognosis? This is a thing that has "meant to be" just stamped all over it.
From: Prof. Cecilia Moore-Cobb [Pitt Community College in NC]
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 10:28 AM
I was delighted with the opportunity to meet and hear you lecture last Friday. You certainly got them thinking, which is where we're going in a critical thinking class. One student said she hadn't eaten any meat since last Friday. Another said she lived next to a farm and saw the animals being carted off for slaughter, and that didn't bother her one bit. She was never going to give up meat. Another said he had just killed a deer last month, and he planned to eat every part that was eatable. Still another said she was really interested and was going to see what she could do to change her habits. Predictably, the ones who refused to leave their prejudices at the door are the ones that I can predict will not do well in the course and will wonder why. I've taught so long that I can pretty much predict success or failure after about three weeks with a class. Again, many thanks for that special opportunity to stretch those minds. The timing was great because I had just given them a writing assignment on the "Lesson of Nan-in". Our next course topic is what Richard Paul calls the universal intellectual virtues or traits of fair-mindedness, empathy, integrity, humility, courage, perseverance, and faith in reason. What a perfect fit! I hope to see you in the fall!
From: Prof. Courtney Rash [East Carolina U.]
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 8:25 AM
I just wanted to thank you again for coming and speaking with my class. It was a wonderful presentation and I really think you made an impression on the students. I definitely want you to come back and speak in my class next semester. I will also talk with the other dietitians on campus about doing a presentation campus-wide. I will be in touch!
Messages from Educators, 2008
From: Professor Steve Best [UTEP]
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 4:59 AM
(from one of his students)
When I registered for Environmental Ethics I thought this would be the easiest class in my schedule. I believed this class would be the same as every other ethics class I had taken, where the main focus would be on theories and concepts. However, I soon learned that this class would not be the same. In fact, I learned on the first day that this class would have the greatest impact on my life than any class I have ever taken in my entire college career. As days and weeks passed we were presented with information that would have a direct impact on our (student's) life whether we liked it or not. When Gary Yourofsky showed up to class on September 29, 2008, I realized that I was living a life of selfishness. Before that day I had always considered myself to be an animal lover, a person that had the greatest respect for all living creatures and an activist for those who did not have the ability to defend themselves against those who did not respect them. Ironically, I was not a true animal activist but in all actuality I was the problem of what was or rather what is wrong with the world today. I was only contributing to the inhuman torture that is going on all around us. However, soon after Gary delivered his heart filled presentation, my eyes where opened to new and greater opportunities, not only for myself but for others around me. After Gary's presentation my excitement of what was to happen from that point on began to grow and my enthusiasm for change not only in my life but also in the community around me began to flourish.
From: Prof. Bill Martin [DePaul]
Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 11:44 PM
We had a good discussion in the department recently of my book Ethical Marxism (March 2008 was the release date), which has a big chapter on the animal question. If you read the chapter you would undoubtedly see your influence, and I do cite you at one point as well. Keep up the good fight.
From: Prof. Nicole Pitts [Oakland Community College]
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 3:26 PM
As always, I am very thankful to you for coming to my classes. The impact you have on so many students is amazing to me and to the students, too. Here are some comments I wanted to share with you:
-- One student came with her mother to your presentation on Monday night because my student has adopted a vegan lifestyle and has encountered great opposition from her family. Now that her mother saw your presentation, she has a deeper understanding of her daughter's commitment to this new, healthier, more ethical diet. Also, my student feels as though her mother can pass this information on to other family members. I wish you could have seen the relief in her face when she shared this story with me!
-- Another student told me that even thought she didn't cry (outwardly) after the video you showed the class, she did feel very emotional afterward. She'd rejected invitations to watch similar videos from friends and family members including her own mother, so that Wednesday night was the first time she actually saw what animals endure. It has reinforced her resolve to reduce her animal consumption, and this is a woman who grew up on a farm! She thinks that God sent her a message through you!
You have had such a magnificent impact on me and my students. Thank you again for your passion!
From: Prof. Paul Bauer [Cecil College in MD]
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 9:00 PM
Thought you might enjoy [this essay below]. The papers are still arriving and are still encouraging.
"Gary Yourofsky is an interesting and very informative man on an issue I had once or twice pondered, but never really considered as a dire issue of concern. I came into Gary's seminar thinking vegans are crazy eccentrics that were too obsessed with animal right's, and were almost all members or PETA. PETA, however, as such an extremist animal rights group, give people like Gary a bad reputation. The first concept I understood from Gary's seminar was that he was trying to bring us back to our years of toddlerhood and infancy, to when we loved animals. Gary was so moving with his concept on the fact that animals are in the early dynamics of a child's life. Gary was very informed with his information he brought forward to his audience, it may have seemed harsh at times, but mostly was with the greatest intentions to inform us that an injustice was being performed everyday for our own benefit. A intriguing idea he addressed, was that as human we are built as herbivores. I never knew that physically our bodies are designed like herbivores and very unlike carnivores. Yet it was not all these facts about our bodies anatomical make-up that began to make me see Gary's view alone, but it was his simplest thought in his whole concept on not eating any animal product. There was a phrase I had seen a couple of times in the news, and occasionally in articles that I was desensitized and agreed with the phrase just as society has manipulated us to. The phrase nowadays is that animals are being humanely killed. From a quick glance that seems like a justified act, however when Gary deconstructed the phrase I understood its problem. Humane as a word itself means civil, courteous and obliging acts towards humans and animals which has the synonms; compassion, consideration and benevolence. So, as Gary said, how can you put a word like humane infront of an atrocity? The answer automatically would be you cannot. But its easy to accept the idea of humane slaughter, however not so easy to accept humane rape, humane murder, or humane child molestation. We know these things are wrong because of our moral values, but we have been so decesitized to animal slaughter that we think there is a humane way of killing them. Killing is killing, whether its an innocent human life or an innocent animals life. Gary was right, something has to be done to stop this atotrocity. Nothing happens over night, especially when there are so many people committing this act, but if more people could know the turth that Gary vividly tells then there would be more affirmative action for this sin. In conclusion, Gary is probably the most inofmred man on a subject he was passionate for that I have ever heard speak. He was intuitve and harsh at the same time...Gary's message is a strong and moving one that touched me in a great way. I have days that I set aside where I do not eat meat and all, and I'm slowly trying to adapt myself to eat no meat and no animal product at all. I feel healtier as a result, and look better with my complextion. I get it, I understand, and I'm acting on what I found out. I love animals and had no idea I was single handedly promoiting an awful act of our culture. I heard Gary Yourofsky speak and I have every intention to act in favor of his movement ever since."
From: Prof. Anthony Holsten [East Carolina U.]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 10:12 AM
Thanks again for your presentation; a recent informal poll stated that a fairly good number of the students have gone veg, and two have gone vegan.
From: Prof. Paul Bauer [Cecil College in MD]
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 6:59 PM
I have purposefully waited until now, nearly a month after your first lecture, to write. I wanted time for the papers on your talks to be turned in so I could give you some feedback. Of the over 120 papers I have received thus far, your impact is tremendous! About a dozen say that they have become vegan (and I know them well enough to know that it is true) and the vast majority have cut back on meat, chicken, fish, milk, etc. A handful, about 5-6, are critical of your position but their comments are more personal then academic or intellectual. Thus I can say without hesitation that you have made an impact at Cecil College. Students whom I do not even know are asking me when the "vegan man" will be back in the spring. I also waited to write to let you know how I am doing. It was three weeks ago this past Sunday that I made my pledge to the cows [never to eat them again]. Since then I have been 100% without meat, fish, chicken, milk, and honey. My only weakness still to be conquered is Breyer's ice cream, but Joe and Becca have given me the vegan version so I will be complete soon. I ran a marathon last Sunday, a week ago today, and, as I always do, pondered my life in the later miles. Around mile 20 or so, running along the C and D Canal watching the boats being tolled to Philly, I truly was thankful for the life I have had. Here I am running long distances, teaching to appreciative students (I hope), and being loved by those by whom I want to be loved by. You helped me make an important decision in my life and I sent you a silent thank you about mile 23. I will be 65 tomorrow and am going strong … stronger than I would have been without knowing you.
From: Prof. Steve Best [UTEP]
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 12:49 AM
(from one of his students)
Gary Yourofsky's speech was both informative and persuasive. I can speak for myself and others when I say that I didn't know a lot of these facts regarding animal cruelty. The most obvious argument against animal cruelty is of course, the despicable violence that is involved in the slaughtering of the animals. For example, I found out about chickens getting their beaks cut off, ducks being penetrated by rods, and other atrocities. I found out about chickens not even being able to see sunlight because they're stored in such dark and confined quarters. My opinion is that this guy (Yourofsky) defends what he believes in, and therefore has my respect. His ideals are logical and ethical in every sense, and he does an excellent job in convincing people and getting his point across. I'm personally trying to become a vegan, and starting by being vegan at least two days out of the week. He said that even by starting this way, hundreds of animals can still be saved. I think this guy is the shit.
From: Prof. Alexandra Cvejic [Queens College]
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 1:28 PM
Thank you so much for your always engaging and enlightening lecture. I will keep you posted re student comments.
From: Prof. Mel Seesholtz [PSU-Abington]
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:32 PM
Your talks and answers to questions never cease to inspire me. Today was no exception. I KNOW you reached more minds today than on 10/21 [when you gave the lecture] ... mine included.
From: Professor Paul Bauer [Cecil College in MD]
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 1:58 PM
(from one of his students)
Thanks so much for letting me sit in on class today - he was unbelievable to listen to. I've been a vegetarian on and off for the past 15 years, but I will never put a piece of meat in my mouth ever again and I'm pretty sure I'm not eating any more dairy (especially eggs). You may have a few stragglers from Student Services in the back of the room on Wednesday. I've been recommending everybody hears him speak, at least to open their minds. Do you have his email? I didn't write it down because I didn't have my glasses with me and couldn't see the board. I have a bunch of friends in Boston who would like to find out if he'll be around their area at some point.
From: Prof. Mel Seesholtz [PSU-Abington]
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 2:21 PM
Subject: WOW!!!!
I REALLY liked the new talk...and its presentation! BRAVO, Bro!!! Interesting: the one student who was quite vocal last week about how she didn't care about the topic and that no matter what you said/showed, she intended to keep eating meat. Well, today, half way through the video, she turned away and, if I'm not mistaken, was wiping tears from her eyes. I'll give you a summary of what the class says on Thursday.
From: Prof. Steven Varela [UTEP]
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 3:53 PM
As always, Gary, thanks for your presentations in the classrooms--the students really enjoyed them and learned a lot.
From: Prof. Steve Best [UTEP]
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 12:26 AM
(from one of his students)
Dr. Best, you were not kidding about Gary. He had us watch this 4 minute video. It was a gruesome short video about animals being murdered in slaughterhouses. I had tears in my eyes. Those images will always stay with me. Gary is a very talented, well spoken speaker that has his stuff together. It was a great choice to bring him here because it seemed by the quietness of our classroom that his message had impacted a lot of people, including me. It was a truly eye opening experience...one that I will never forget
From: Prof. Ronnie Hawkins [U. of Central Florida]
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 12:06 PM
I had some feedback, finally, from the student who had raised the red flag in my class [arrest record, country banishments]. He admitted that you were a good speaker, humorous, and even partially persuasive to him! He did then go into a number of issues that you mentioned which he has apparently spent quite a bit of time researching, and I attempted to answer some of the points he brought up, coming from my own perspective; he may go on to email them to you directly. I'm also trying to get my husband to attend your 10:30 presentation tomorrow, if possible. And thanks again for your talks and all you do for the animals. If only there were more people of courage, and ethics, like you in the world, we could actually start solving some of our problems instead of continuing to make them worse!
From: Prof. Karen Braselton [U. of Southern Indiana]
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 3:33 PM
Take care and best of luck with your speaking tour. I will let my students know they can email you; a few of them have been talking about you non-stop since you were in our class. You made an impact on many of the students and that is a very good thing.
From: Prof. Anthony Holsten [East Carolina U.]
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 11:56 AM
I hope the funding goes well for next year, and I've passed your information along to my peers. Perhaps we can get an even wider audience for you!! Lightlife products are indeed tasty. Looking forward to my first Thanksgiving Tofurky in November.
From: Prof. Chad Tew [U. of Southern Indiana]
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 10:36 AM
Thanks for everything. I really admire your drive to educate our students and take off the blinders, including mine. Even though we disagree on the place for media in reaching that group and others, I do believe you are making a difference in the world. And A BIG Thank You! for being the "Poster" face for our free speech effort at USI!
From: Retired Grossmont College Professor Mike Weinberg
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:18 PM
I tabled at Joy Zakarian's All Vegan / Last Chance for Animals booth at the San Diego Gay Pride Festival this past weekend. One of my booth mates was a teacher named Kathy Kavaklos. She said her son heard you speak a few years back at Grossmont College, became vegan, and convinced her and his wife to become vegan. Their infant, currently a breast-feeding vegan, was at the booth for a bit wearing an "Herbivore" shirt. What you're doing is reaping remarkable benefits. Keep it up!
From: Prof. Diane Kasunic [OCC-Auburn Hills]
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 12:47 PM
Great class Gary! Afterward, they guy who asked you about the taste of meat talked to me when class was over wanting to know more. He seemed confused. I then said that when his love of animals was stronger than his love of their taste, he would be vegan!
From: Prof. Luis F Sfeir-Younis [U. of Michigan]
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 5:57 PM
The Spring term is over and I have had the chance to read students' evaluations of their growth in this course. The course was very well received and the results greater than expected. Your name is mentioned in most all evaluations as a challenging, honest, and transformative speaker. You were able to reach the heart and minds of even the most skeptic student on this issue. We all really appreciate your contributions. I am very aware of the effort and dedication all this requires and I thank you for that. 8 students become vegan or vegetarian and many more are seriously considering a change. My students, myself, and all the animals in the world thank you for your efforts.
From: Prof. Andrew Domzalski [Madonna U. - MI]
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:38 AM
Thank you for visiting our class. Your speech was received by the students very well. They overwhelmingly praised your enthusiastic delivery and informational content.
From: Prof. Lubna Aboosi [Int. Academy of Design & Technology - MI]
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:52 AM
Great job! You got to the students and to me as well. Great to meet you and please do come to another class!
From: Prof. Amanda Trefethen [Cal St.-Long Beach]
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:12 PM
Thank YOU! We really enjoyed your talk and while I am not teaching critical reasoning in the fall, I am considering working you into my Phil of Law class. I haven't figured out how yet, but I am working on it. In fact, I believe there is a place in our Morality and Law section that could work because it just so happens that you have been on campus the last two semesters on the day that I teach a chapter from Peter Singer's "One World." I take it as a sign that you should be talking to my Phil of Law class. I mean what are the odds that you at CSULB when I am teaching Singer? On a separate note, several of my students walk in to class everyday lately telling me that it is day #__ of their veganism! I also had them right a paper taking a position on whether or not a vegan or meat-eating diet is better and ninety percent of the class chose veganism. Now it's somewhere in their psyches forever. So thanks for coming and thanks for spreading the word, it is greatly appreciated (by all creatures great and small).
From: Prof. Kristina Hancock [Cal Western Law]
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 7:55 PM
(from one of her students)
I want to thank you very much for your Animal Law class. I know this is a little late, but I wanted to give it time to totally sink in before giving you my reflections. I am now dedicated to cutting meat and diary out of my diet ... which is just absolutely crazy coming from my lifestyle before the class. I want you to know that you are making a difference. And a large part of my thanks to you is for exposing me to the speaker toward the end of the class. I think his name was Gary. I also want to thank you for introducing me to that slowly, because I imagine that his speech would not have had the same impact before taking your class and being forced to consider the ethics of food in a way I never had before. Anyway, my life is very different now after taking your class, and I realize I am much happier living consistently with the way I think. I am less anxious and much more joyful in my appreciation of food. I can't thank you enough. You have impacted my life in an amazing way.
From: Professor McKay Jenkins [U. of Delaware]
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 10:50 AM
One of my students made this video, and asked that I send it along as a way of saying thanks.
From: Prof. Bill Crain [City College-NY]
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 9:37 PM
Your lectures today were fantastic. For several students, I'm certain they were live-changing. I apologize about brusquely ending your stay with the second class [due to time constraints]. It didn't make a difference. They wanted to keep talking about veganism. You had a tremendous impact. Deepest thanks.
From: Prof. Mel Seesholtz [Penn St.-Abington]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:12 PM
Gotta say ... you were even more brilliant today than usual! Ran into several of our student in the halls after the class. They were still talking about your presentation. When I asked them "What are you having for dinner tonight?" one winced and said her family was having chicken... but didn't know how she was going to deal with that. You HIT ... Big Time.
From: Prof. John Burris [U. of Central Florida]
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008 8:28 PM
KILLER talks! If the students can't grasp it when you make it THAT accessible to them, then there's nothing else you can do. Thanks for your efforts. Having thought it all over more, I really see why you have chosen to take some of the emotional angles you have. But I still think the middle way is always the ticket, and I felt like you found that this time.
From: Prof. Jason Borenstein [Georgia Tech]
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 6:24 PM
Thank you again for coming to my classes today. It will certainly give the students much to think about.
From: Prof. Ronnie Hawkins [U. of Central Florida]
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:09 PM
Thanks again for your talks yesterday. Your impact on the students seems to be huge!
From: Prof. Kathleen Brennan [Western Carolina U.]
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 11:37 AM
A big thank you to you. The students and I had a great discussion about your talk. They really enjoyed it for the most part. Even the 4 students who said they were angry at you during the speech (only 4!) said that you provided a lot of valuable information and they were glad that you came. So you are definitely welcome in my Social Problems course next semester. It is obvious from ur discussions and their exams that you reached most of the students in the class.
From: Prof. Lisa Briggs [Western Carolina U.]
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 9:52 AM
I actually went to the store yesterday and cooked with all meatless products last night. We had tacos and the fake bacon on a salad. I also talked to my husband about going meatless two days a week. He is in for it. Good luck with your tour and thanks for being so great in the classroom. I had several students personally thank me yesterday.
From: Prof. Andrew Buck [U. Southern Indiana]
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 4:00 PM
Your lectures piqued student interest tremendously. Your message is one that students should be exposed to even if they might not adopt a vegan lifestyle. You are a great lecturer and deliver the message in a engaging way. In the fall semester I will be teaching two sections of Social Problems, so if you are coming to USI let's try it again.
From: Professor Ana McClanahan [Beaufort Comm. Co. in NC]
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 11:15 AM
To: Professor Ken Robol [Beaufort Comm. Co. in NC]
I was really impressed with the speaker, Ken. Thank you. How often do you bring him around? Could you send me his contact information? Website? I was unprepared to make notes last night. When I got home, my son has grilled some Italian sausages and I was repulsed. I was already "in transition" to a vegetarian diet but am now more settled on it. Wow.
From: Prof. Donald N. Blakeley [Fresno St.]
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 2:32 PM
Sorry about the delay in responding, but as I indicated to you I have been involved in moving to Hawaii. I want to thank you again for your willingness to come and speak to students in my classes. Your presentation has always been a very good contribution to the work of the semester. I sent a note to other faculty in the department to consider you as a guest speaker. So some of them may be contacting you. I do hope that you get adequate funding to help support your work. What you are doing and the way that you are doing it is important.
From: Professor Kathleen Brennan [Western Carolina U.]
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 8:38 PM
I am looking forward to telling you about one of my class group's (from last semester) civic engagement projects on animal cruelty. They are trying to get a veg or vegan restaurant on campus (one sponsored by the university). It was by far the best civic engagement project of last semester and I expect them to continue with it this semester. I think you will like it, as it was undoubtedly influenced by your presentation.
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