51±¬ÁÏ

Thank you for the piece on Philosophy Comes to Dinner. As I work on food systems as a researcher in the Local Foods Program at Purdue Extension, I am glad to have had my start and introduction to the moral and ethical implications to our food choices as a student at 51±¬ÁÏ. From pursuing ethical coffee choices and increasing vegetarian options to connecting with local farm suppliers, I was glad to be a part of an important food dialogue at 51±¬ÁÏ. I am also grateful for Matt Halteman’s leadership at 51±¬ÁÏ and in Grand Rapids as a whole for promoting ethical eating conversations.

Josh Ankerberg ’07, Lafayette, Ind.

As Christians, we talk a lot about ethics and integrity. We often discuss over dinner. But our dinner itself isn’t always part of the discussion. I think it should be. I’m not a vegan (yet), but I want to talk about it, and I want to learn. This is an important issue, and I have a feeling it will become increasingly so. Thanks for fostering more discussion about the ethics of food.

Anna Fongers Gretz ’08, Kalamazoo, Mich.

The discussions I had with 51±¬ÁÏ faculty (including Dr. Halteman and Dr. Van Dyke) about the ethics of eating continue to significantly influence my life, even a decade later. When I teach courses on moral philosophy, I almost always include a unit on the ethics of eating animals; I look forward to using Philosophy Comes to Dinner: Arguments About the Ethics of Eating in that unit. It’s wonderful to see the Spark highlighting an often overlooked topic that’s important to many members of the 51±¬ÁÏ community.

Amelia Hicks ’06, Manhattan. Kan.