LUNCH: Meatless Mondays must end

When we first heard about Meatless Mondays in December 2021, its creators said the program would last for a month.

More than a year has passed.

Today, Branson continues to serve meatless lunches on Mondays. The food varies from salad bowls to Impossible Meat. Yet the principle remains the same every week: Take away meat to save the environment.

Never mind that the promised outreach didn’t happen at the one-month mark, nor has it happened this year. The program launched with little student input and has continued with even less.

We should commend the kitchen staff for their daily flexibility; indeed, they offer a vegetarian version of the main course every day. But the continued removal of meat — especially replacing sustainable meat from Marin with its sodium-rich, shipped-in Impossible imitation — stands as repressive and uncouth.

Branson offers plenty of vegan options daily. The rest of us must also have a choice.

Shun Graves

STUDENT LIFE: Freshmen, all must behave

You’re sitting at a table in the commons, chatting with friends and enjoying lunch.

When WHAM, a stack of plates that had been building the whole day fell on the floor, shattering. The culprit, a freshman, stands at the foot of the infraction, wondering what he should do next. As a result, the commons roars with mocking applause.

The freshman basked in the ovation he received, perceiving it as a recognition of his good deeds. With this newfound confidence, he started toward the exit, neglecting to address the chaos he had left.

While this is just one instance of a freshman disrespecting the campus and its facilities, everyone must learn how to take care of our school properly.

The general disregard of Branson’s campus is not solely to blame on the freshman class. But with the influx of freshmen in the coming years, everyone must learn acceptable behavior and standards.

Cameron Aryanpour