1. The Shrine Circus is Here!

What? Demonstration against the Circus
When? Saturday, April 21st & Sunday, April 22nd
9:00am, 1:30pm, and 6:00pm (show times both days)
Where? UCF Arena (Look for ARFF outside the
construction area along Gemini Blvd)

Again this year, Orlando’s Bahia Shriners are sponsoring the Royal Hanneford Circus as their “Shrine Circus.” The Royal Hanneford Circus has a long and sordid record of poor animal care and dangerous animal rampages. For a record of their violations through 2005, visit: www.circuses.com/pdfs/fact-royal.pdf. And for general information about the violations of the Shrine Circus, check out: www.circuses.com/feat/shrine/index.asp

BARC will be joining the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) to protest the circus this weekend, since this is a campus issue we are strongly against. ARFF needs your help leafleting circusgoers before and after each performance. Signs and literature will be provided.

Note: the times listed above are when you should show up, not the actual circus show times.

If you can’t make it out to protest, you can still help:

Please send an e-mail to the Potentate of the Bahia Shriners, Sid Massey, at smassey166@aol.com (send a copy to: Potentate@bahiashrine.org), and urge him to switch to animal-free circuses or alternative fundraisers that do not harm animals.

2. Celebrate Earth Day with us at Dandelion!

What? Central Florida Earth Day
When? Sunday, April 22, 2007
11am - 4:00pm
Where? Dandelion Communitea Cafe
618 N Thornton Ave
Orlando Fl 32803
407-362-1864

Earth Day is celebrated every year to inspire awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s environment. Join us for a free event that will include healthy living and eco-friendly exhibitors, speakers, presentations, and fun and games for kids. Bring your family to learn more about local non-profit groups. There will be live music and entertainment. All funds raised will be used for local environmental outreach and education. Donations are tax-deductible. BARC will have a table set up the whole day, so come on out and show your support!

Sponsors include Vegetarians of Central Florida, Simply Well, Dandelion Communitea Café, OUC, and more. Speakers include Emily Ruff of Florida School of Herbal Studies, Rebecca Reis of Slow Food Orlando, and Heather Carpenter of the Humane Society of the United States. Toyota of Orlando will be bringing oil-reducing hybrid Priuses for test drives. Tranquil Oasis and You Health Center will be providing massage. Over 25 vendors will be showcasing a variety of environmentally-friendly products and information.

To learn more about Central Florida Earth Day, visit: www.cfearthday.org

To learn more about Dandelion, visit: www.dandelioncommuniteacafe.com
3. LAST Vegan Breakfast at the Honors College!

What? Vegan Breakfast!
When? Monday, April 26th (8am - about 10am)
Where? Lobby of the Burnett Honors College

BARC has teamed up with the Honors College at UCF to cook vegan breakfasts periodically throughout this semester. As usual, we will have pancakes, bananas, orange juice, samples of soy sausage, muffins, bagels w/ tofutti cream cheese, etc… and all of it will be vegan and free! Bring yourself and your non-veggie friends to show them how yummy eating cruelty-free actually is! We will only be there for a couple of hours, so be sure to get there early (serving starts around 8am) to get your fair share of the food.

See you all for the last vegan breakfast of the semester!!

4. Tell the Marketplace What’s on All of Our Minds…

These surveys are done every so often, and they need to hear from BARC members that we want MORE veg food in the Marketplace! There are plenty of opportunities during this survey to mention that you are veg and that you are unhappy with their vegan and vegetarian options, so please let them know.

“We would like to hear your opinion on the UCF Dining Services meal plans. Your input will be used as part of our continuous improvement process and is very important to us. The survey can be completed in less than ten minutes. As a thank you, all responses will be entered into a drawing to win your choice of a 2GB iPod Nano or a $200 iTunes card.”

Take the UCF Dining Services meal plan survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=202003545105

1. Next BARC Meeting

What? Official BARC Meeting
When? Monday, April 16th
5:00 pm
Where? Gazebo between the Washington Center and Phillips Hall
This is the LAST meeting of the semester! At the meeting we will have a discussion about this years’ past events and what to look forward to in the future (over the summer and next school year). See you there!

2. Earth Week Events Schedule…

What? Earth Week ‘07
When? Monday, April 16th - Friday, April 20th
10:00 am - 2:00pm each day
Where? Everywhere!

This week we are encouraging everyone who cares about the environment to go veg–drawing a distinction between unsustainable and polluting factory farms and sustainable and environmentally-conscious vegan and vegetarian diets. Wednesday, we are hosting a potluck at our table. Please bring a dish you made (or purchased) to share with everyone.

Mon. 4/16
10 am - 2 pm: Tabling and plant giveaway in front of the Student Union.
2 pm: Speaker - Corbett Kroehler, Congressional candidate. SU 218C.
4 pm: Electric car test drive @ Comm 101.
6 pm: “Who Killed the Electric Car” movie showing and presentation from director Chris Paine @ Comm. 101

Tues. 4/17
10 am - 2 pm: Tabling and plant giveaway in front of the Student Union.
11 am - 1 pm: Flower pot decorating at the tables.
12 pm: DEP hydrogen car display/demo @ Student Union.
3 pm: Speaker - Dr. Jacques. “Environmental Skepticism.” SU 222.
7 pm: “The Green” showing at the Enzian theatre. FREE and open to the public.

Wed. 4/18
10 am - 2 pm: Tabling and plant giveaway in front of the Student Union.
10 am - 2 pm: BARC veg potluck
11 am - 1 pm: Real Rock 101.1 on site, Earthday Birthday ticket contest
2:30 pm: Critical Mass (Bicycle tour around campus). Bring your bike!

Thurs. 4/19
10 am - 2 pm: Tabling and plant giveaway in front of the Student Union.
11 am - 1 pm: Flower pot decorating at the tables.
2 pm: Movie - “An Inconvenient Truth.” SU room 221B.

Fri. 4/20
10 am - 2 pm: Tabling and plant giveaway in front of the Student Union.
9 pm - 12 am: Dance Party! SU Edgmont 224.

Other notes:
-Bring a bag of recycled goods to the Union while we’re tabling everyday and win a prize!
-We will have T-Shirts and other giveaways too!
-For volunteer opportunities contact Stephanie Butler: vucf_animals@mail.ucf.edu

*events subject to change

3. Another Vegan Breakfast TOMORROW! mmmmmmm

What? Vegan Breakfast
When? Monday, April 16th (8am - about 10am)
Where? Lobby of the Burnett Honors College

BARC has teamed up with the Honors College at UCF to cook vegan breakfasts periodically throughout this semester. We will have pancakes, bananas, orange juice, samples of soy sausage, muffins, bagels w/ tofutti cream cheese, etc… and all of it will be vegan and free! Bring yourself and your non-veggie friends to show them how yummy eating cruelty-free actually is! We will only be there for a couple of hours, so be sure to get there early (serving starts around 8am) to get your fair share of the food.

**Just a note: we absolutely encourage BARC members to come and eat a lot of breakfast, but keep in mind that the food is not just for us. We are trying to cook for people who might not have ever been exposed to vegetarianism, and want to make sure as many of these people as possible get to eat too. Also, if you are an early-bird and would like to help set up in the morning, we need people to get to the Honors College at 7:15 am to help set up. So just show up at that time, if you can.

See you all for vegan breakfast!!

4. Dinner and a Movie

What? Falafel and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
When? Thursday, April 19th
6:00 pm
Where? Community Center of The Towers
The dinner and a movie is taking place THIS Thursday (many apologies for the incorrect date in the last email). The idea behind these events is to promote veg-living and kindness to animals in a fun way. BARC provides the free food and the movie, and absolutely everybody is invited! The theme this time is “Falafel and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” so expect to eat a middle eastern feast while watching this hilarious film.

If you have a question about anything, email copresidents@barcdontbite.org, and you will get a prompt response.

What? Official BARC Meeting
When? Monday, April 9th
5:00 pm
Where? Gazebo between the Washington Center and Phillips Hall
Instead of having meetings every-other week as usual, we will now be meeting EVERY MONDAY (same time, same place) because we have so many events to work on before the end of the semester. At the last BARC meeting we held officer nominations for next year, and so at this meeting we will be holding the official BARC election. All of those who were nominated for leadership positions will be giving a short speech about their vision for BARC in the years to come and why they are perfect for that position. So please come out and cast your vote, if you want to see the right people in charge of the only AR group at UCF!

2. So Many BARC Events, So Little Time…

We have TONS of events planned in the remaining weeks of this semester. You can always check the BARC Calendar to stay on top of what we are up to, but here is a general list of what to expect, and when… (note: more info on all of these will be sent out closer to the actual event days)

Dinner and a Movie:
What? Falafel and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
When? Thursday, April 12th
6:00 pm
Where? Community Center of The Towers
Next Thursday, BARC will be having another Dinner and a Movie on campus. The idea behind these events is to promote veg-living and kindness to animals in a fun way. BARC provides the free food and the movie, and absolutely everybody is invited! The theme this time is “Falafel and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” so expect to eat a middle eastern feast while watching this hilarious film.

———-

Breakfasts at the Honors College:
What? Vegan Breakfast!
When? Monday, April 16th (8am - about 10am)
Monday, April 26th (8am - about 10am)
Where? Lobby of the Burnett Honors College
The Honors College has asked BARC do more breakfasts, and we happily agreed. We have added another breakfast to our schedule, so there are TWO more chances to eat this much-talked-about breakfast before this semester is over.

———-

Earth Week:
What? Earth Week!
When? Monday, April 16th - Friday, April 20th
10:00 am - 2:00pm each day
Where? Tables outside the Student Union
The progressive clubs at UCF are joining forces to talk about environmental sustainability and conservation during Earth Week. BARC will be focusing on the role factory farming plays in all of this and encouraging everyone concerned about the environment to go veg! On Wednesday, we have something special planned. More info on this next week.

———-

Shrine Circus at the Arena:
What? Demonstration against the Circus
When? Saturday, April 21st & Sunday, April 22nd
10am, 2:30pm, 7pm (show times both days)
Where? UCF Arena
We will be joining the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) to protest the circus these days. BARC has some of our own things planned for these days, so if you would like to get involved, come to the club meetings and/or email barcucf@gmail.com.

3. ACTION: Tell the Student Union You Want MORE Veg Food!

In order to better serve UCF students, the Student Union is conducting a
brief online survey to determine how satisfied the campus community is
with Student Union services and facilities. We invite you to take about 5
minutes to complete this survey. Your feedback will help the Student
Union make improvements to meet the needs of students.

Participation in the survey is anonymous and the results will be
summarized so that they are not attributable to any individual respondent.

To participate and share your experience and opinions, the survey can be
found online at: http://survey.ucf.edu/su_cs.htm

*** There is room for comments on this survey, so let them hear from BARC members that we would like more veg-options on campus and that we DO NOT want a KFC coming to the Student Union!! ***

4. Eat Indian Food with Vegetarians of Central Florida

What? Vegetarian Meetup
When? Friday, April 6th
7:00 pm
Where?
Khasiyat
852 Lancaster Road
Orlando , FL 32809
407-888-2147

It’s time for Indian food at one of the purely vegetarian Indian restaurants in town! Everyone is invited, and if there are enough people interested we can form a carpool from UCF again. Email barcucf@gmail.com if you would like for there to be a carpool.

“if you want a huge variety of flavorful, spicy veggie dishes, check out the Indian restaurant Khasiyat” — Orlando CityBeat review (read the whole restaurant review here)

To RSVP for this meetup or to sign up for future Meetup events:
http://vegetarian.meetup.com/11/calendar/5603500/?a=nr1_nr

BARC has teamed up with the Honors College at UCF to cook a vegan breakfast on the last Monday of every month this semester. We will have pancakes, bananas, orange juice, samples of soy sausage, muffins, bagels w/ tofutti cream cheese, etc… and all of it will be vegan and free! Bring yourself and your non-veggie friends to show them how yummy eating cruelty-free actually is! We will only be there for a couple of hours, so be sure to get there early (serving starts around 8am) to get your fair share of the food.

**Just a note: we absolutely encourage BARC members to come and eat a lot of breakfast, but keep in mind that the food is not just for us. We are trying to cook for people who might not have ever been exposed to vegetarianism, and want to make sure as many of these people as possible get to eat too.

So spread the word, and we’ll see you all for vegan breakfast!!

1. Next BARC Meeting

What? Official BARC Meeting
When? Monday, March 19th
5:00 pm
Where? Gazebo between the Washington Center and Phillips Hall
Welcome back from Spring Break! Sorry for such a late sending of this email, but some of us have been out of town. At this meeting, we will be covering last-minute tactics for Meatout and the upcoming demonstration against the Shrine circus at the UCF Arena in early April. See you there and at the events below…

2. Meatout 2007 Events Schedule…

TUESDAY:
What? Veg Potluck
When? Tuesday, March 20th
10:00am - 2:00 pm
Where? Outside the Student Union at the BARC table
Today, on actual National Meatout Day, BARC will be hosting a potluck to show UCF students the joys and benefits of a plant-based diet, while promoting the availability and selection of meat and dairy alternatives in mainstream grocery stores and restaurants. We need to show the public that it’s easy to eat a wholesome, nonviolent diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

So please bring a vegan/vegetarian dish with you to the BARC table when you can. Contact barcucf@gmail.com if you plan on bringing something or want a super easy recipe idea. Don’t assume others are bringing a lot of food, we need YOU to bring food too, even if it’s only a little.

WEDNESDAY:
What? Demonstration Day!
When? Wednesday, March 21st
10:00am - 2:00 pm
Where? Outside the Student Union and around campus
Today, we have some unique events planned to raise awareness about factory farming and animal slaughter statistics in the United States. At our table outside the student union we will focus on how 18 thousand animals are slaughtered EVERY MINUTE in the United States. We will have bubble machines (which pump out “thousands” of bubbles a minute) to show people just how big a number that is. We will also be giving out information about factory farming to spread the word and the famous BARC barn will most likely be up as well. Students for a Democratic Society at UCF will be joining forces with BARC and bringing more free veg food to share in the morning.

** We are also planning on doing a similar thing to CPA’s “2000 Too Many” event with all the soldiers’ faces on the string… only each piece of paper will represent a certain fraction of the 10 BILLION land animals slaughtered in the US each Year. We really need help walking this around campus, because it will be very long!! If you would like to get involved with our “10 Billion Too Many” event then contact us at: barcucf@gmail.com. This won’t happen unless we get enough people to help. Contact us ASAP!

3. One Night Only! Comedy Show on April 1st to Benefit Animals

What? Cartoons, Comedy, & Compassion
When? Sunday, April 1st
6:00 pm
Where? Octagon Arts Center
2470 Nursery Road
Clearwater, FL 33764
Longtime vegan, animal rights activist, and hilariously funny man, Dan Piraro will be in Clearwater for the charity event Cartoons, Comedy, & Compassion put on by Florida Voices for Animals. He is the creator of the award-winning syndicated newspaper cartoon, Bizarro, and will be presenting a multi-media comedic overview of his career and the world at large. Check out his website at www.bizarro.com

Cost: Only $6.50 per person or $3.50 for students (must bring student ID). This is SO cheap for a guaranteed night of laughs!

As usual, we will have a carpool going from UCF. There are many activists joining us from the Orlando community as well, so we might be renting several large vans to hold us all. If you are interested in going, send a quick email to barcucf@gmail.com and we’ll figure out when we’re leaving, coming back, and all the little details.

1. Next BARC Meeting

What? Official BARC Meeting
When? Monday, March 5th
5:00 pm
Where? Gazebo between the Washington Center and Phillips Hall
This meeting will mainly focus on our Meetout 2007 event for Wednesday, March 21st. This is THE event of the semester, and will require a lot of work to get it together, so we need everyone’s help since it’s less than a month away. Here is a quick description of our plans that will soon appear on the Meetout Events page along with other actions around the world:

BARC will create a visual display depicting the number of animals slaughtered per day/hour/minute/second in the US. This display will be walked around campus as we pass out literature and talk to people about factory farming. The display will be something like THIS, only with each page on the long string representing a certain percentage of factory farmed animals.

Also, a BIG thank you to everyone who helped out Monday morning for the all-vegan breakfast at the Honors College (and those who came and ate)! We will be doing these breakfasts the last Monday of every month, so spread the word because the next one is March 26th.

2. Demonstration Against March of Dimes Cruelty THIS Sunday

What? Demo Against UCF KnightWalk 2007
When? Sunday, March 4th
2:00 pm
Where? UCF Reflection Pond

This Sunday, UCF is hosting KnightWalk 2007, in conjunction with other Walk America events around the country to raise money for the March of Dimes. However…

Most people are unaware that the March of Dimes funds cruel
animal experiments. Common experiments have included vivisectors sewing kittens’ eyes shut, implanting wires into pregnant monkeys’ uteruses, and administering cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol to pregnant rats. The participants in this walk need to know that every dollar spent to harm these animals is a dollar that could–and should–have been used to help people.

That’s why BARC is joining forces with ARFF this Sunday. We need your help handing out leaflets and stickers to walkers, and holding signs as they turn in their donations at this event. If you would like to make your own sign, meet us in front of the Math & Physics Building at 1:30pm (we’ll have poster board and markers).

Can’t Make it This Sunday? We Still Need Your Help…

Everyone should send a quick email to:

Lauren Meyer, Executive Student Director, UCF
KnightWalk, UCFKnightWalk@yahoo.com

We need to make it clear that we, as UCF students, do not approve of this walk to benefit the March of Dimes until they end their cruel and unnecessary animal experiments. What to stress in your email: Urge Lauren Meyer to consider organizing next years’ walk for a more ethical organization. If Ms. Meyer is so concerned with helping save babies lives, there are far better organizations working toward this goal, such as Easter Seals and Birth Defect Research for Children, which do so by leaving these ineffective and costly animal experiments out of the equation.

Let’s flood her email with our polite, yet demanding voices, and then show up at the protest!

3. ACTION: Morningstar Farms is No Friend to Chickens

Compassion Over Killing and Vegan Outreach are teaming up with compassionate people everywhere to ask Morningstar Farms® to stop using eggs in its product line.

Morningstar Farms®, which is owned by the Kellogg® company, was approached in September 2005 about its use of eggs in its products, all of which come from hens confined inside barren wire battery cages. Battery caged hens are typically provided with a meager 67 square inches of space in which to live—that’s less than the size of one sheet of notebook paper. These birds are so intensively confined for their entire lives that they are denied their natural inclinations to spread their wings, perch, preen, or even walk.

Morningstar Farms® has long been a leader in supplying delicious vegetarian foods to a growing market. Let them know that the market also wants them to remove their support from the cruel battery egg industry and encourage them to join with companies like Gardenburger®, which last year announced it has taken eggs out of all its products except for one private-sourced item.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please contact Morningstar Farms® and politely request that they remove eggs from their products. Let them know one of their biggest competitors, Gardenburger®, has already made this decision for all but one of its products.

1. Submit Your Comments Online
Send your polite and thoughtful comments directly to Morningstar Farms® using our online form.

2. Make a Call: 1-800-962-1413
Call Kellogg®’s customer feedback hotline at 1-800-962-1413, Mon. thru Thurs. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. or Fri. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, Eastern Standard Time.

1. Say: “Representative.”
2. Press 2 for product information
3. Press 1 for general inquiries

3. Write a Letter to:
Morningstar Farms®
c/o Kellogg® Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box CAMB
Battle Creek, MI 49016
Thank you so much! Our efforts can help free many hens from horrible lives in battery cages.

If you have a question about anything, email copresidents@barcdontbite.org, and you will get a prompt response.

1. TOMORROW: Vegan Breakfast at the Honors College

What? Breakfast in the Honors College
When? Monday, Feb 26, 2007
8:00 am
Where? Lobby of the Burnett Honors College

BARC has teamed up with the Honors College at UCF to cook a vegan breakfast on the last Monday of every month this semester. We will have pancakes, bananas, orange juice, samples of soy sausage, muffins, bagels w/ tofutti cream cheese, etc… and all of it will be vegan and free! Bring yourself and your non-veggie friends to show them how yummy eating cruelty-free actually is! We will only be there for a couple of hours, so be sure to get there early (serving starts around 8am) to get your fair share of the food.

**Just a note: we absolutely encourage BARC members to come and eat a lot of breakfast, but keep in mind that the food is not just for us. We are trying to cook for people who might not have ever been exposed to vegetarianism, and want to make sure as many of these people as possible get to eat too. Also, if you are an early-bird and would like to help set up in the morning, we need people to get to the Honors College at 7:15 am to help set up. So just show up at that time, if you can.

See you all for vegan breakfast!!

2. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Monday, February 26th - Wednesday, February 28th

Last week, three groups of candidates faced off in the elections for SGA President and Vice President. The results were so close that there will be a runoff election this Monday-Wednesday between:

Eric Eingold, President
Austin Smith, Vice President
www.ourucf.com

Brandie Hollinger, President
Logan Berkowitz, Vice President
www.yourlegacy2007.com

Based on issues alone, BARC fully supports the Eingold/Smith ticket. Here is why: Their platform is the only one that draws attention to the need for a greater selection of healthier and vegetarian/vegan options on this campus. They also promote more environmentally-friendly and sustainable energy usage at UCF, along with endorsing sweatshop-free clothing purchased from Student Government (among many other great things). Eric Eingold is actually the SGA Senator for BARC, and has helped us out many times when we needed stuff done.

It is so important that every student votes in this election. Educate yourself on both candidates’ platforms and tell all your friends to do the same! We, as students, have the ability to create positive change on campus by getting the best candidates elected, so it’s important we all take action to do so.

TO VOTE: just log into my.ucf.edu and click on the SGA Election icon. It only takes about 30 seconds total to cast your vote, so it’s really easy. Voting begins Monday morning and ends at 5:00pm on Wednesday, so spread the word!

If you have a question about anything, email copresidents@barcdontbite.org, and you will get a prompt response.

1. Free Lecture on Reversing Diabetes with a Vegan Diet… Plus Cooking Demo!

What? Dr. Neal Bernard Lecture
When? Thursday, Feb 22, 2007
7:00 pm
Where? Best Western Movieland
6233 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819

This event was left out of the last BARC email by accident. oops! Dr. Neal Bernard is very well known in the animal rights movement, so this lecture should be really interesting. There will also be a cooking demonstration right after, showing how to prepare some of the foods he talks about in his new book. Carpool information at the end. Here is the description:

Please join us for a free lecture on a powerful new approach to preventing, controlling, and reversing diabetes. Pioneering nutrition researcher Neal Barnard, M.D. (founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM), will share findings from his latest published studies, showing that a low-fat vegan diet can help many patients cut their blood sugars, improve their insulin sensitivity, and reduce, if not eliminate, their medications. He will also describe the three-week dietary approach outlined in his new book, Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes.

Local cooking instructor, Tiffany Ferrecchia, will prepare some examples of the types of foods recommended in Dr. Barnard’s program.

Admission: Free and open to the public. Call Jill Eckart at 202-686-2210, ext. 337, with general questions or 407-351-3900 for directions.

**BARC CARPOOL INFO: If you definitely would like to join the carpool to this event on I-Drive, please email barcucf@gmail.com so we know who to expect (and also don’t leave without you!). We will be meeting on campus in front of the Millican Hall bus drop-off no later than 6pm THIS Thursday.

2. Exciting Update on Animal Services Controversy

Excellent news!! I just received an email regarding the hiring of Dr. Ridgway as director of Orange County Animal Services (as mentioned in the last BARC email).

Hello,
I want to update everyone on the situation involving
Dr. Robert Ridgway, the Covance lab vet who applied
for the position of Director/Manager at Orange County
Animal Services. I was advised this morning by county
administration that Dr. Ridgway is withdrawing his
application. They are reconsidering and are
re-opening the application process.

You can read about this story on the WFTV, Channel 9 website: http://www.wftv.com/news/11055843/detail.html

What a victory for the animals! Thank you to everyone who wrote, emailed and called Mayor Crotty and the Orange County Commissioners. The media attention and your input helped make this decision.

3. Some Astounding Statistics on Factory Farming

At the BARC meeting tonight we discussed our upcoming Meat Out event this March 20th. Here are some statistics that I thought would benefit everyone to view and think about. These numbers say it all…

These are estimates for a minimum of 9.8 billion (9,800,000,000) farmed animals* slaughtered every year in the United States, which comes out to a minimum of:

26,849,315.06849315 killed every day …26 million!
1,118,721.4611872146 killed every hour …1 million!
18,645.357686453575 killed every minute …18 thousand!
310.7559614408929 killed every second …3 hundred!

Considering the fact that there are 301,211,787 people living in the United States (as of 2/20/2007 at midnight)… It takes only 11 days (11.2186022709) to kill the same number of farmed animals in this country, to equal the human population in this country.

* “Farmed animals” include only the following: cattle, chickens, ducks, hogs, sheep & lambs, and turkeys. These numbers do not include the slaughter of fish, crustaceans, rabbits and other farmed animals for whom the USDA does not provide information, or on the slaughter of animals who are not farmed, such as equines.

If you have a question about anything, email copresidents@barcdontbite.org, and you will get a prompt response.

What? Official BARC Meeting
When? Monday, February 19th
5:00 pm
Where? Gazebo between the Washington Center and Phillips Hall
Since last meeting got cut a little short… we’ll be picking back up where we left off and finalizing our upcoming campaigns against the Marketplace, the Shriner’s circus, and Meat Out! Also setting concrete dates for our events like Dinner and a Movie, and the Vegan Breakfasts at the Honors College.

Also, a BIG thank you to everyone who helped make and pass out the Valentine’s Day goodie bags on Wednesday! We gave out almost 400 valentines, and it went very well! That’s nearly 400 new people who received literature about factory farming from us on campus. Let’s keep it going!

NOTE: At this meeting, Jodi will be collecting donations for Seminole Animal Services who was hit by the recent tornadoes. They need standard supplies like blankets; dog, cat, bird, and rabbit food; litter boxes; and crates. If you didn’t bring any last week, you can still contribute.

2. Vegetarians of Central Florida Meetup at Global Chocolates

What? Chocolate Extravaganza
When? Saturday, February 24th
7:00 pm
Where? Global Chocolates
955 Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-681-3500
Who doesn’t love Chocolate? We now have our very own chocolate shop in Orlando that sells VEGAN chocolates! They also have organic, Fair Trade coffee & espresso drinks as well as an array of yummy pastries. Please join us for veggie sandwiches & all you can eat chocolate. Rumor has it that there will be chocolate fondue!

They are located between 17-92 and Park Ave, Between the Wine Warehouse & Austin’s Coffee & Film. Parking is in the rear.

**If anyone wants to form a carpool from UCF, please contact barcucf@gmail.com to let us know you’re coming.

3. Urgent Action: Speak Out Against the Hiring of Dr. Ridgway for Orlando’s Homeless Animals!

Among other responsibilities, Animal Services operates a shelter that impounded 20,000 dogs and cats in 2005. Unfortunately, over 11,000 of these animals were euthanized. We can do better. Animal Services needs strong leadership to improve adoptions and to promote spay & neuter.

Among dozens of applications for the Manager position, the county is choosing to hire Robert Ridgway, DVM. Since March 2006, Dr. Ridgway has been employed by the county as a shelter veterinarian. But prior to arriving in Florida, Dr. Ridgway had a sordid past…

For 10 years, Dr. Ridgway was Director of Laboratory Animal Medicine at Covance, one of the world’s largest animal testing companies. Covance is hired by pharmaceutical and chemical companies to test products on animals. Every day in Covance labs, thousands of animals suffer and die in painful tests. (Visit www.CovanceCruelty.com to learn more about this company with a long record of animal cruelty and abuse.)

In his application for the Manager position, Dr. Ridgway boasted that at Covance one of his responsibilities was, “procurement of over 29,000 animals annually and coordination of animal use.” Currently, pound seizure (selling shelter animals to laboratories for experimentation such as Dr. Ridgway has done) is not illegal in Florida, and we fear he will try to bring the same thing to Orlando.

An individual who can send thousands of animals to their deaths in cruel tests is the wrong person to manage Orange County’s Animal Services. There are other highly-qualified applicants for this position, such as David Flagler. Mr. Flagler has hands on experience in law enforcement and all aspects of managing a shelter, and is in support of the New Humane Movement, No More Homeless Pets.

Please contact the Orange County Commission and urge them to reconsider selecting Dr. Robert Ridgway as Orange County’s new Manager of Animal Services. They need to hear from us before February 20th!

We need to flood their email and phones with our voices!! Here are some talking points: please state you are concerned and disappointed in the selection of Dr. Robert Ridgway as Orange County’s new Director of Animal Services. His past employment proves he does not have the experience necessary to run a progressive, humane shelter. In addition, he is 68 years old and we want someone who will be here for the long haul with a better vision for Orange County’s animals. David Flagler, another candidate has more successful sheltering experience.

Below is the contact information for the Orange County Commission:

County Mayor Richard Crotty
Email: mayor@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-7370
Fax: (407) 836-7360

County Administrator
Ajit Lalchandani
Telephone: (407) 836-7370
Same email as Mayor Crotty. Just put “Forward to
County Administrator” in your subject line.

Melvin Pittman – Director of Community and
Environmental Services
Email: melvin.pittman@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-5511

District 1 - Commissioner Teresa Jacobs
Email: district1@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-7350
Fax: (407) 836-5879

District 2 - Commissioner Fred Brummer
Email: district2@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-7350
Fax: (407) 836-5879

District 3 - Commissioner Mildred Fernandez
Email: district3@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-5309
Fax: (407) 836-7387

District 4 - Commissioner Linda Stewart
Email: district4@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-7350
Fax: (407) 836-5935

District 5 - Commissioner Bill Segal
Email: district5@ocfl.net
Telephone (407) 836-7350
Fax (407) 836-5879

District 6 - Commissioner Tiffany Moore
Email: district6@ocfl.net
Telephone: (407) 836-7350
Fax: (407) 836-5879

If you have a question about anything, email copresidents@barcdontbite.org, and you will get a prompt response.

1. Next BARC Meeting

What? Official BARC Meeting
When? Monday, February 5th
5:00 pm
Where? Coulburn Hall, Room 204 (because it might rain!)
Our second meeting of the Spring semester will take place this coming Monday at 5pm. We will be finalizing plans for the larger events of this semester and discussing other cool events that we didn’t get to discuss last time (like: “Have a Heart for the Animals” this Valentine’s Day!). Also, a LOT has been happening in the area of animal rights these past couple weeks, so read up on the issues below and we will discuss how we can take action right here at UCF.

PS. Also feel free to bring vegan/vegetarian food with you to the meeting (potluck-style). We love food and we especially love to share.

2. Cruel Crates To Be Phased Out by Major Pig Producer!

In breaking news this past week, the nation’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods Inc., announced plans to phase out “gestation crates” at all of their breeding pig farms over the next decade! This is a major development, which is in response to growing awareness and opposition to the cruel treatment of animals exploited for food. It comes in the wake of an Arizona voter initiative, banning veal and gestation crates, that passed by a wide margin last November.

Narrow gestation crates are commonly used by the animal agriculture industry to confine pregnant pigs inside warehouse-type facilities without the ability to even turn around or lie down comfortably. Numerous research studies have shown physical and psychological maladies experienced by sows in confinement from the unnatural flooring and lack of exercise.

This new position by Smithfield is in stark contrast to the industry’s previous statements and justifications about using gestation crates, wherein they had stated: “thousands of farmers, including our contract growers, depend on these individual stalls to house their sows to ensure the safety, welfare and health of each and every pig.” This proves that animal advocates are gaining ground by educating the public and pressuring corporations to conduct themselves in ways that are more consistent with humane, societal ethics.

Other Media sources:

Reuters - January 25, 2007
Smithfield to phase out gestation crates - WSJ

Wall Street Journal - January 25, 2007
Smithfield to Phase Out Crates

Ag Professional Weekly - January 25, 2007
Smithfield to switch from gestation stalls to group housing for sows

3. Another Corporate Farm Backflips…

After Smithfield announced they would phase out gestation crates… This week, Marcho Farms, one of the largest U.S. veal companies announced plans to phase out veal crates! In 2002, Farm Sanctuary investigated and exposed conditions at Marcho Farms, and pressured the company to make changes.

It is significant that Smithfield and Marcho Farms have now changed course. Previously, they were both strong proponents of keeping animals in narrow crates. The industry’s back flip on these confinement issues begs the question: what else are pigs, calves and other farm animals rightfully entitled to?

These recent announcements demonstrate that we are making progress. Cruelty to animals violates basic humane principals, and industrial farming operators are now being forced to recognize this.

Still, industries that exploit and slaughter calves and pigs tend not to be very transparent about the way animals are treated, so it will be important to remain vigilant and to keep the pressure on. In the case of Marcho Farms, releasing calves from 2-foot-wide crates is progress, but nothing is humane about taking a newborn calf away from his mother and shipping him off to be slaughtered only a few months after his birth. So our fight is not over!

4. Month of Action against Flea World in Central Florida…

What? Valentine’s Demo against Flea World
When? Saturday, February 10th
11:00 am
Where? Flea World (4311 Orlando Ave.), Hwy 17-92 between Orlando and Sanford (Click here for map)

Flea World, a flea market in Sanford (10 miles north of Orlando), regularly features animal acts including tigers, elephants and other animals. Click here for more information.

During the month of February, Flea World will feature a circus act that includes a solitary elephant named “Dondi” (pictured above in a promotional photo). Dondi is an Asian elephant who was violently captured in the wild in 1974 and brought to this country to perform. Dondi is also forced to give rides at Flea World. She is kept in a small trailer when not performing. Please join us for the Valentine-themed demonstration, “Have a Heart, don’t go to the circus”

**Join us for lunch after the demo at Clay Oven, located at 1275 S. US Highway 17/92 in Longwood.

Other actions against Flea World planned for February:

Recent performers at Flea World have included acrobats, magicians and a comedy act. Clearly, Flea World can still provide entertainment to its patrons without exploiting animals and endangering the public.

The owners of Flea World, Sydney and Marianne Levy, have ignored numerous appeals to discontinue sponsoring animal acts. Monday through Friday, Mr. & Mrs. Levy operate another central Florida business, United Trophy. Activists are needed to help display a 15-foot long banner outside of United Trophy in downtown Orlando, on the following dates:

Dates and Times: Fridays, February 2, 8:00am; February 9, 12:00 noon; February 16, 8:00am, February 23, 12:00 noon.
Location: United Trophy, 610 N. Orange Avenue, downtown Orlando (map).