Alliance to Advance Animal Rights Education 3are .org

"Thank you so much for your energy, humor and dedication...your work is worthwhile. After your lecture five girls in my class (out of 14 students) decided to become vegetarian. Although they are not vegan (yet), this is a great success. Thank you again for all your work and positive energy. Let's definitely keep in touch and I will see you in the fall semester." Prof. Patrizia Longo, St. Mary's College (CA), 5/6/06

"The feedback from the students was almost uniformly positive, some bordering on life-changing. So, once again, you did a fine job." Prof. David Skrbina, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4/22/06

"Lots of great buzz around here today. I arrived for dorm duty tonight to find a group of six girls waiting to talk to me: 'We want to become vegans. How do we start?' Right on!" Joel Thomas-Adams, Deerfield Academy (MA), 4/18/06

"Want to say 'thank you' once again. You were great. You not only affected my students' lives, you got the old vegan feeling radicalized again." Prof. Jessica Greenebaum, Central Connecticut State University, 3/17/06

"Hope the tour is going well this year. One of my students brought up in class that he's a trapper...uses bear-claw traps. I guess my reaction caught the class's attention. So we took a break from the scheduled material and I showed your (and Kate's) DVD today. Watching their faces said it all. Many blinders crashed to the ground. Some asked where they could get the DVD, so you may be hearing from them. Word spread, so later this month I'm showing the DVD in another class. We're calling it a 'special topics' day. Thanks for everything." Prof. Mel Seesholtz, Penn State University-Abington, 3/16/06

"Hey thanks to you once again. I really hope that you can secure funding to keep up the important work." Prof. Mark Lanier, University of Central Florida, 3/14/06

"If you don't get funding next term, it may well happen not long after. Hopefully you can stay afloat in a reasonable way if that happens. Regardless, it has been a profound and productive run as it has been—and when you keep looking at this environmental literature the whole thing can seem just a touch prophetic. If it is 50 years until we run into big problems it is still quite prophetic. If it is 20-25, then it really does change the scope of what has been going on in those classrooms from my end. The urgency of your presentation will seem a lot more on the point rather than anything else. Still, and obviously, the ethical angle is not based in time but is atemporal and the central point. Since you have always spoken in my classes within the context of ahimsa, I think I can say that we are fully aligned on that point." Prof. John Burris, University of Central Florida, 3/12/06

"I know you haven't even had a chance to talk yet this quarter and the time has rolled around for me to invite you to come speak to our contemporary issues course on animal welfare for Spring Quarter now. Your presentation on veganism and ethical choices is always well-received and the students benefit greatly from your input, ideas, information and commentary! Please let me know if you are willing to speak for us again and which Tuesdays would fit into your schedule." Prof. Ana S. Hill, Ohio State University Dept. of Animal Agriculture, 2/19/06

"Thanks again for a great presentation. As of today, my daughter is a former PETA Business Friend. I also stopped my support. My best to Kate." Prof. Valerie Santos, California State University-Long Beach, 2/17/06

"You're entirely welcome for the [$100] donation. It sounded like you'd gone through a rough time with PETA and all that. I'm glad somebody isn't afraid to exercise their free speech rights, so I figure I should put my money where my mouth is....I'm trying to offer an intro to environmental politics class next semester. You're welcome to join us again." Prof. Kenneth Hansen, California State University-Fresno, 2/16/06

"First off, whatever you said this time, keep it up. Best response ever by far. I had excellent—composed, constructive, good questions, informative—20-minute discussions in both classes. (They could have filled the entire class if I had time.) Out of the blue, several students said they were going vegetarian or vegan, and one vegetarian said he was going vegan. Thanks for your continuing work. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help keep you on the road and lecturing." Prof. Mike Becker, California State University-Fresno, 2/15/06

"We are the ones who, of course, should be thanking you. I know that we never do enough for you. The lectures certainly enrich the lives of our students and make them think in ways that are exactly what a college experience should give them. You are always welcome in my classroom. Best of luck in the future and I hope that someone comes to their senses and funds your important work." Prof. Maurice Hamington, University of Southern Indiana, 1/28/06

"Hey Gary, Thanks for giving the talks to our kids. I know you have reached a bunch of them. Some have decided to do a vegetarian spin of 'supersize me' where they will only eat healthy no-meat foods for a month. They are turning it into their senior project so if they contact you don't be surprised." Kevin Jordan, Oakland High School (CA), 1/9/06

"Thanks for today's AMAZING lecture. Thank you for teaching my students more in one day than I've been able to teach them all semester. Also, thanks for restoring my faith in human beings." Prof. Alyssa Chen, University of Michigan, 11/21/05

"No, thank YOU for coming at such short notice. Yes, the students did seem receptive, and I'm looking forward to hearing their reactions next week. I know my friend Karen has gone back to being veggie as a result of the talk. I'm trying to veganize myself more and more, but I'm not quite there yet. But I'm working on it. Thanks again." Prof. Jane Compson, Daytona Beach Community College, 10/29/05

"Thank you for once again delivering a wonderful, informative lecture. I think that it went really well and that you reached a bunch of them." Prof. Alexandra Cvejic, Queens College, 10/20/05

"Thank you again for spending two days at Queens College informing our classes of the way we conceive of the world. I will definitely try Tofutti on my bagel this weekend. You really made me start thinking about a human's place in relation to animals, and I've been thinking about how this relationship influences the way we behave overall. While I have not made any formal plan of how exactly I will be changing my lifestyle, I will begin by making small changes. (You have no idea how much I love cheese! But I can't knock the other options until I try them.) I had a veggie burger today. It was good. I'll email you with any questions I might have, and I'll tell my students to do the same. It was great meeting you and thanks again." Prof. Andrea Efthymiou, Queens College, 10/20/05

"Thanks so much for coming to our class. The students were inspired." Prof. Bill Crain, City College-New York, 10/20/05

"You were great again. Classes loved it." Prof. Brandon Judell, City College-New York, 10/7/05

"You were a wonderful speaker in my courses. If I weren't vegan already, I would have converted this week. You have given us much to discuss and reflect upon for the rest of the term. As far as I am concerned, you are always welcome in my classroom. You are doing very important work, and I am honored to have met you." Prof. Maurice Hamington, University of Southern Indiana, 10/6/05

"Thank you for a wonderful presentation! It really opened my eyes and enhanced my motivation to attempt the change. I also received a lot of positive comments from my students afterward about the lecture; I think you reached many of them. I will continue to support your cause and will spread the word among my colleagues." Prof. Mario Lamberti, Oakland Community College-Highland Lakes (MI), 8/7/05

"Good news! One of my students just stopped by to tell me that he has decided to go vegan and also to spread the news to friends and fellow employees....Thanks again for another moving presentation. Overall, I got the sense that people appreciated the discussion. I thought it interesting that you categorized your ethical position as an ethics of compassion. I wondered whether you were referring to the actual movement in ethics centered upon compassion, such as one finds in the recent work of Martha Nussbaum with respect to both animal rights and international justice. In her essay, The Compassionate Response to Terror, she argues that an ethics of compassion is the best ethical theory, insofar as it is able to give a response to the 'animal problem,' in a way that no other ethical theory in the history of philosophy ever could. I think that there is a general misconception that animal rights activists are utilitarian in their ethical thinking. However, utilitarianism fails precisely in the way that you pointed out, namely that the 'greatest happiness' might include the suffering of innocent creatures. I think the ethics of compassion does a better job of granting some privilege to our moral intuitions and emotions in the academic discussion of theoretical ethics. I find your vision of historical progress refreshing, and I applaud your effort to take responsibility for the realization of your vision. Unfortunately, the postmodern trend seems to be to deny responsibility and argue instead for an egoistic freedom." Prof. Maria Hollendonner, University of Akron, 7/20/05

"That was a great class. The students all said they really wanted to go on with it. There were a lot of things I liked about that talk. The older guy who gave you a presentation critique is a pretty nice guy but he was completely out of line on that. The funky shit you have to put up with doing your job! You showed a lot of restraint in not trashing his ass. He grew up as a fundamentalist Christian though he is not one now. A few students have gone veg or are trying it also. I really liked that you made a few jokes and took a slightly more casual angle—perhaps just because you were tired. Although you have a serious subject, I think occasional relief and letting your guard down a bit will work very well for you in the modern classroom. Everything has gotten so much less formal." Prof. John Burris, Rollins College (FL), 7/15/05

"You both were so wonderful! Thanks for traveling to Tahoe and speaking to my Race and Ethnic Relations class. I felt that the students were impressed with your talk and responsive to your presentation. I myself have been a partial veggie when it has been convenient. Now, after your talk, I'm vegan....You really touched my life. And, I hope, the lives of my students. Excellent activism!" Prof. Julie Jacobs, Lake Tahoe Community College, 6/7/05

"Thank you for your courage and commitment to the cause of non-suffering. As a vegan myself, I am thankful for the chance to see the best defense of veganism I have ever seen, heard or read anywhere." Prof. Maria Hollendonner, University of Akron, 4/22/05

"Your and Kate's presentation was awesome....I'm sure there are other faculty that may be interested." Prof. Steven Coons, Miramar Community College (CA), 4/18/05

"Thanks again for your powerful talk this week. My students and I were equally transfixed, and I can tell you for sure that your words burned into some brains, permanently. I very much hope you will come back and talk again next year, this time to both my classes. You're a gifted, vivid, courageous speaker." Prof. McKay Jenkins, University of Delaware, 4/15/05

"I will say that you two are the most golden-voiced activists I've ever listened to. Your words and delivery keep the audience enthralled, and I learn something new every time I hear you speak. Keep up the great crusade!" Prof. Mike Weinberg, Grossmont Community College (CA), 4/5/05

"Thank YOU so much for coming to my class. You and your co-presenter affected everyone in a dramatic way, including me. I bought some Tofurky and the Tuno you suggested, and although I've not yet opened the Tuno can, I liked the Tofurkey and fooled my husband with it last night. He would not have known the difference if I'd not told him after he finished eating it! That was such a wonderful lesson for him about soy-based meat substitutes. A student told me about how he bought some soy milk for his family and didn't tell his kids about the change. They didn't notice at all. Interestingly, he DID notice the difference after he'd been drinking the soy milk for a few days and tried to return to 2%. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant revelation for him. You'll be happy to know that more than 60% of my students plan to change their eating habits because of your presentation. Both you and your co-presenter do excellent jobs presenting this valuable information, and I and my students thank you both for your time. I can't wait to have you come to my classes in the fall and winter, so if I don't hear from you, you can be sure you'll hear from me! Thanks a million." Prof. Nicole Pitts, Oakland Community College-Southfield (MI), 3/30/05

"I appreciate your visit. Not only do I admire your commitment to your cause and the power of your arguments, but as I indicated, my wife and I were/are at a tipping point on this and we have already found that there are many tasty alternatives to meat at the store. We just hadn't seriously looked in a while. So whatever else happens, your visit had at least one concrete impact. I'm teaching American Political Thought again in the fall, so if you contact me in early August with the dates you'll be at UT, I'll incorporate you into the syllabus. Take care, and thanks again." Prof. Marty Carcieri, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 3/20/05

"It was great to have you and Kate again. I don't know if you get up in the Wisconsin area, but I'll be teaching at University of Wisconsin—Rock County in Janesville, WI next year. If that's within your area, I'd love to have you both come speak to my classes there." Prof. Nathan Zook, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 3/18/05

"Fall semester sounds great—just let me know. I may have other colleagues who might be interested in you presenting in their classes too. It was a pleasure!" Prof. Steven Varela, University of Texas-El Paso, 3/13/05

"I just wanted to share a few brief excerpts from the [student] essays I am currently reading that address your lecture:

"I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat, wanting to know more and more. [When you told the story of Big Red, the bull,] the feeling of sympathy overcame me. Including real life experiences in a presentation, such as this, again makes me want to learn more about the vegan way of life. After sitting through such an impressive presentation, I will think twice about what I consume and make an effort to change my daily diet."

"Gary and Kate had a great impact on me. I can never eat meat again."

"Lab-coats and men with dollar signs in their eyes have succeeded in desensitizing the public from the evil being inflicted, but people like Gary and Kate are avidly trying to remove the blinders that people have built up over the years. Armed with the facts, it is the general public's turn to resist the temptation of the taste of flesh and to revert to a diet from the ground."

"It is time that we turn to the many alternatives that we have which don't involve the torture of animals. It is time that we stop thinking just of ourselves and begin to think about the environment around us that is harmed due to factory farming and most of all, we must think of the millions of animals that are slaughtered, all just to fulfill our appetites for flesh." Prof. Alexandra Cvejic, Queens College, 3/4/05

"Many thanks to you for the outstanding presentation you and Kate gave." Prof. Bill Crain, City College-New York, 3/1/05

"Thanks so much to you and Kate for your splendid presentations. You both were great together and the students thought you were wonderfully provocative. I appreciated your talking to some of them long after the class ended. We also spent the next class talking about your talk, so it went on and on. I will certainly be thinking of you for future classes." Prof. Richard Kaye, Hunter-CUNY, 3/1/05

"You two did a fantastic job, I'll have you back to do every class I teach as far as your schedule permits. I read all the students' essays on your talk, and you opened a lot of eyes and minds. I couldn't even keep count of the kids who said they never knew the animals they eat were treated like that, and they would seriously consider going veg. So keep up the good work, people have to change one by one. On a personal note, I was picking up cat food today and couldn't resist adopting another cat (#4 for me). She was rescued from the pound just before euthanasia time. I know your talk contributed to my decision." Prof. Priscilla Sakezles, University of Akron, 2/19/05

"It was so nice of you to come see my class again. I appreciate your time and passion. We had a good discussion about the lecture the next class period, and you opened many people's eyes, and while it was uncomfortable for them, they explained it was beneficial and they were glad to be aware." Prof. Elizabeth Wilson, University of Miami-Ohio, 2/19/05

"Thursday's lecture was GREAT. I've already had lots of messages from students who have decided to give up meat or who went home and emptied out all the milk in their fridges!! What has amazed me more than anything is that my parents were seriously talking about trying to be vegetarian—perhaps even vegan—and have decided to give up eating meat for Lent and to see how it goes. I can't even begin to tell you what a shock that is—I would never have seen it coming. So that is a real testament to the job that you and Kate did!! More later, but thanks so much!! I hope you get a few days' rest now! You guys were great." Prof. Jane Compson, University of Central Florida, 2/12/05

"Thanks for coming. You both were great. The students responded very favorably, though clearly your message shakes their world." Prof. Leslie Paul Thiele, University of Florida, 2/8/05

"Thank YOU for the lecture. I really liked the changes and thought that the Big Red story worked very well—it provided a moment of peaceful calm amidst a storm of suffering. I also had positive discussions with three students after class. I'm scheduled to teach Intro again in summer and would be happy to have you back." Prof. Michael Strawser, University of Central Florida, 2/3/05

"Thanks AGAIN to you two for getting the message out—your talks seem to be getting better and better! Do keep in touch for next semester." Prof. Ronnie Hawkins, University of Central Florida, 2/1/05

"It was a pleasure to have you in our class. Your presentation was highly informative and delivered in an engaging manner. I hope you will be able to visit us again." Prof. Andrew Domzalski, Madonna University (MI), 1/31/05

"Thank you for coming and sharing your passion with us...." Prof. Sherry Wynn, Oakland University (MI), 1/25/05

"Thanks again so much for your talk. I had at least a half dozen students who claimed that they were going to become vegan or at least vegetarian and who had been successful for at least the last couple of weeks since your talk." Prof. Mary Lyn Stoll, Muskingum College (OH), 12/28/04

"I'm sorry I did not get back to you earlier. The students by and large liked Kate's presentation this Fall, although, as you know, they were somewhat polarized in their views: they seem either to have hated the presentation (about a third of the students) or to have very much liked it (the others), and very little in between. Kate was convincing enough that five of my students (out of about 30) told me afterwards that they had decided to become vegetarians. There may have been others who did not see me. Please let me know if you will be in California before March 11, as I would very much like to have you speak to my business ethics class again." Prof. Manuel Velasquez, Santa Clara University (CA), 12/17/04

"Many [of my students] are beginning to come out of the woodwork, 'admitting' that they've been 'pretty much' vegetarian thanks to you, Kate, and me." Prof. John Simecek, Oakland University (MI), 12/12/04

"...Suffice to say, you made an impact—the written comments are very encouraging." Prof. Todd Lekan, Muskingum College (OH), 12/9/04

"I want to thank you again for the stimulating and passionate presentation you and Kate made to my class last week. There was a lot of very well-presented, useful information, and I know it succeeded in both engaging and challenging the students. I found the discussion of whether homo sapiens are natural omnivores or not particularly interesting (not that it establishes anything one way or the other about the ethics of eating meat, but it's useful at least in combating the old argument that it's unnatural for us *not* to eat meat and therefore unreasonable to expect that of us). On the whole, you make a very good case for veganism. In terms of focus, I thought the presentation was very good as a device for advocacy: if you want to convince people to become vegan, then use all the different arguments that might support that decision—from ethical arguments to considerations of health to the 'yuk factor' involving milk pus and hen periods." Prof. William Fitzpatrick, Virginia Tech, 12/7/04

"First, I have been horribly remiss in not being in contact with you to thank you for your presentation. You totally hooked the students, who brought up the issues for several weeks after your talk, and I know that some of them followed up in contacting you or moving towards vegetarianism. I was delighted that they were so thoroughly engaged, and that, more important, they became informed about the issues. So thanks so much. Thank you again for the good energy—and I wish you a good holiday." Prof. Grace Anne Flisser, Com- munity College of Philadelphia, 12/2/04

"We had a tremendous discussion on Wednesday (after your Monday lecture). I was really impressed with many of the students' ability to sort out and analyze the issues. I teach them to look at all moral issues as involving the weighing of complex evidence on both sides. Your presentation was clear— 1) environmental, 2) human health, and 3) concerns intrinsic to animals, a) life, and b) pain and suffering. Once we get this model, it becomes clearer how the various things you offered us 'fit.' I look forward to having you next semester. Thanks again." Prof. Brad Kelley, Virginia Tech, 12/2/04

"My students really enjoyed your presentation and continued to talk about it after class. It certainly made an impression on the class. Our next class, which is the last class of the semester, we will begin by further discussing student reactions to your lecture. I hope that USD's law school decides to offer an Animal Law class next year. If I am chosen to teach it, I would certainly like to have both of you return and give the presentation again. Thanks so much for coming to USD and offering the students many things to think about how they conduct their daily lives." Prof. Jane Henning, University of San Diego, 11/20/04

"As a teacher at The Meadows School, thanks for your visit. I enjoyed your remarks." Gary Handley, The Meadows High School (NV), 11/19/04

"An excellent talk. I could tell how affected many of my students were. Peace and thank you for keeping up the struggle for the voiceless." Prof. Mike Becker, University of California-Fresno, 11/15/04

"Thank you so much for the fascinating and deeply moving presentation. Several students have e-mailed that they enjoyed it and one mentioned she is probably going to become a vegan. I'll see my class tomorrow for the first time since the talk and we'll spend a lot of time discussing it, so I'll let you know the larger whole group comments later. Again, I so appreciate the time you and Kate took coming to Santa Clara." Prof. Claudia McIsaac, Santa Clara University (CA), 11/15/04

"You continue to astound with your cogent, informative, and passionate lectures on behalf of animals! Your presentations just keep getting better and better. I especially appreciate your insistence that, besides the tremendous health and environment benefits, the most powerful and only necessary reason to embrace veganism is ethical—it's simply the right thing to do. Most humans abhor killing for pleasure. Your talks work wonders in convincing people that having animals suffer and die for human pleasure is morally bankrupt—it's just common sense not to kill if you don't have to. Keep up the great work!" Prof. Mike Weinberg, Grossmont Community College (CA), 11/13/04

"Your speech was GREAT, GREAT! Better than ever. We had standing room only, students sitting on the floor, standing in the doorway, every chair filled, lots and lots of questions. We adjourned at 9:30 after starting at 7:00, but we could have stayed until midnight. So many students stayed to ask questions and talk." Prof. Mark Somma, University of California-Fresno, 11/13/04

"I think your lectures were quite successful. I found positive feedback from most of the students, and the few who objected are busily trying to defend themselves, especially concerning the brutality toward the animal world." Prof. Arvilla Taylor, Midwestern State University (TX), 11/10/04

"I want to tell you that you and Kate made a powerful team presentation here in Columbus. She has added a certain quality to your subject that the students appreciated. Her calmness and presentation excellence, matched with your speaking skill and passion, result in a compelling message. The students complemented your presentation skills as a team. Your visit will be the talk-piece of the student community for a long time. Students are already registering and joining a very long wait-list for the winter quarter, anticipating the energy of your expected visit. I look forward to seeing you and Kate in the winter." Prof. David Zartman, Ohio State University, 11/8/04

"Thank you again for taking the time to come to my class and share this very powerful speech. I liked what Kate brought to the speech, and it was interesting to see a double presentation. I look forward to seeing you again soon! Travel safe on your road trip!" Prof. Elizabeth Wilson, University of Miami-Ohio, 11/2/04

"Dr. Presser and Dr. Cable said that you were wonderful speakers in their classes. I was hoping that you could speak to my Introductory Sociology class sometime in November. I teach on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:15 until 12:05. Do you think that might be possible?" Prof. Brandee Matthews, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 10/21/04

"No need to thank me, I believe in the message, and think everyone needs to hear it and make a change in their lifestyles for the sake of these animals. I can't thank you two enough for bringing the message to us. I hope that PETA truly recognizes your value, and it seems that with the new video, they do! The speech was great, I like the changes. I just wish you could talk for 3 hours about all the injustices and inhumanity out there, but with time constraints, I know you cannot do that." Prof. Carrie Shea, Wayne State University, 10/20/04

"It was wonderful—what a great speech. The students were captivated. We are going to talk about the talk today, and then they are going to write for extra credit a short response paper. I will forward some highlights from those papers as soon as I get them. Next semester I have two sections of introduction to ethics that I would like to invite you to." Prof. Elysa Koppelman, Oakland University (MI), 10/19/04

"My students enjoyed you and Kate, and had some observations, namely that you two were too 'evangelical.' A couple said they thought the point was to make them feel bad for eating meat (real wisdom there) and a couple thought you guys were making yourselves out to be morally superior to non-vegans. I told them you may well be. What they most enjoyed was Kate's section about 'chicken periods' et al. You guys were favorably received and your passion for your cause is obvious and obviously genuine. I'd have you in again." Prof. Lewis Moyse, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 10/13/04

"Thanks again to you and Kate for coming and speaking in my classes. I had one of my classes evaluate the lecture. They were asked to respond anonymously to the statement 'The guest lecture was a valuable educational experience' with one of the following numbers and then provide comments: 5=strongly agree; 4=agree; 3=neutral; 2=disagree; 1=strongly disagree. The 9:30 class responded as follows: 20 strongly agreed, 12 agreed, 6 neutral, 3 disagreed, and 2 strongly disagreed. This means that in the 9:30 class 74% of the students viewed the lecture positively, and only 12% negatively." Prof. Michael Strawser, University of Central Florida, 10/11/04

"From one of my former students: 'I was in 2 of your classes 3 semesters ago. I wanted to ask if you knew the name of a movie that we viewed in your class? The movie was about animal cruelty. It had scenes of a slaughterhouse where the cow's throat was cut while hanging upside down, and scenes of chickens getting their heads cut off. A speaker from PETA was there the same day.' My response: 'I don't recall the name of the video but it was presented by Gary Yourofsky as part of his very effective presentation protesting the abuse of animals.'" Prof. Spike Peterson, University of Arizona, 10/11/04

"I think you guys are great. I'm on Day 3 of veganism as a direct result of your presentation. My TA, who was in the room, has given up meat-eating. I thought it was good that you presented the vegan/animal rights movement as non-partisan. I liked the order of the presentation. The video was great. Adrien, one of my students, was VERY moved by the facts you delivered about violence toward animals, and the analogy of their situation to a holocaust. Many thanks for what you do." Prof. Lois Presser, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 10/8/04

"Thanks so much for your presentation. I'd be delighted to have you back in 2005." Prof. Nathan Zook, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 10/7/04

"Thanks for coming to the class and for the work you do. There was a lot of information in the presentation and both of you were very good at delivering it. I think the class was generally sympathetic to your cause. The video was moving and powerful." Prof. John Nolt, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 10/6/04

"Thanks again for enlightening my students. You are both terrific speakers and wonderful people. Here are 15 comments from some of my students:

"I enjoyed listening to the presentation and thought it was very informative. I am a cancer patient, so I was very interested in another way to stay healthy. After listening to this presentation, I'm seriously thinking of cutting out meat, milk and other things out of my diet to stay healthy. I'm glad I heard everything they had to say and they did a wonderful job of speaking."

"I never knew about the cruel treatment of animals in the meat/dairy industry. I took time out and went to the Meet Your Meat website and was disgusted by the inhumane treatment of these farm animals. The figures they gave about the deaths and diseases were eye opening. I think the PETA organization should do more to get the message out. I believe if more of the population knew these facts and figures, things would change."

"I thought the presentation was awesome. It was very insightful, informative and interesting. The video of animals being butchered brought tears to my eyes. I like how they also injected humor into their presentation to lighten it up a bit. I had no idea that animals were treated that cruelly so the presentation really opened my eyes and I think it is horrible what is done to animals just so we can eat meat. I also thought it was disturbing to find that there is pus in my milk. All in all, I loved the presentation and since class on Thursday morning (9/30) when I had my last meat meal at McDonald's, I have not eaten anything made from meat, eggs or dairy products."

"I thought the presentation was informative. As soon as I got home I told all my friends the percentage of pus in their milk and as a result my roommate and I are going to stop drinking milk and eating meat. We aren't going to quit cold turkey but we are going to buy some Boca burgers this weekend."

"I learned a lot about how many animals are killed for our food and the conditions they have to live in and endure. It certainly made me think about what I eat."

"They have factual information about animal rights or the lack thereof. I found the information about free range animals and humans being herbivores to be most interesting."

"Their in depth knowledge of the subject matter was fantastic. It would be nice if other speakers could be as well versed as they are."

"It was nice to see that they had eaten meat almost all of their lives and converted to veganism. That proves that it can be done. I felt the presentation was effective."

"The presentation definitely messed up my appetite. I keep seeing images of the chicks being dumped down the funnel to be grinded. The video was very effective. The images are constantly haunting me during meal time. The presenters gave a wonderful, influential presentation that had great organization. The presentation did decrease the amount of meat I eat. I am motivated to eat more earth-friendly foods such as grains, tofu and vegetables. Soy milk is now replacing my skim milk."

"I really liked the presentation. Some of the best parts were the comments about how eggs are basically a hen's period and that once a year we use a turkey's butt as a pressure cooker for stuffing. They really made me think about what I was eating. Also, a fact that grossed me out was the pus count in milk. I will never look at milk the same again."

"I thought the presentation was great. It makes me think every time I look at animal products. I am attempting to become a vegetarian. The presentation brought up so many good points such as health reasons, cruelty reasons and biological reasons. I find it remarkable that both speakers have devoted so much to this cause. That more than anything else is making me reconsider animal products. I brought seven friends to hear them speak and two of them have already decided to become vegan. They should keep up the good work. Everyone will see their passion for this cause and hopefully join."

"Filled with statistics and examples, they made a clear case for people to consider going vegan. They did make me rethink my eating habits. Health-wise it is a good move."

"I brought two friends to the presentation and both were equally disturbed with the video. Both were also impressed with the information, stats and facts of the presentation. I am sure Kate and Gary had given the speech countless times but they still acted like it mattered to them and it came off that way in their presentation. Neither of my two friends has touched meat or milk since the presentation so I guess they did a good job."

"I think they both did an awesome job. I did not enjoy the presentation but only because of the topic...watching animals being abused is not my cup of tea. I will try to eat less meat and I do thank them for informing me."

"After sitting through Gary and Kate's presentation on the vegan lifestyle, I have really stopped to think about just what my family and I are consuming. In fact, I haven't had a drop of milk since I went onto the milksucks.com website. They brought many interesting facts to my attention and proof enough that humans are not meant to eat meat—we are not carnivores. They provided us with additional sources that enabled me to seek answers to the questions I had. I was shocked to find out just how many celebrities follow the vegans!" Prof. Mark Lanier, University of Central Florida, 10/5/04

"It was a pleasure to have you in my classes. I enjoyed very much the new changes you made to the speech. The nutrition part is excellent as well, and the dynamic of both presenters—one male and one female—is perfect. Kate is wonderful and you are too. Thank you for coming and reminding us of how violent we are as a society and how it is time for us to realize that." Prof. Catherine Meyer, University of Central Florida, 10/3/04

"I thought the new speech, condensed but interactive, was a nice shift. I remarked to Kate how the addition of a song to the video had more emotional impact, but I also thought that your original voice-over technique was more informative regarding the treatment of the animals and the industry intent behind it. Either message had its own way of reaching the audience. Thanks again for providing some material for my writing classes, but also for your message concerning rights and human decency." Prof. Steve Ethridge, University of Central Florida, 10/2/04

"You and Kate are talented speakers and clearly gave our students a well-crafted exposition of an animal rights perspective. We are glad that you not only gave our students exposure to the ideas and arguments of a passionate political movement, but also sparked debate and discussion that will undoubtedly continue on campus for some time to come." Prof. Mary Summers, University of Pennsylvania, 10/1/04

"I hope that this note finds you in good spirits as you travel the country doing this most important work of raising people from the mire of ignorance! The lecture was extremely informative and well-delivered. We were all very engaged and I think that the students were very receptive. Some of their written responses to the readings and the lecture revealed profound disgust with the practices of corporate farms. One student affirmed that she is going vegan and several others suggested that it would not be easy for them to eat meat again. In short, there did not appear to be any resistance to the information, but mostly anger directed at the institutions that allow such treatment of fellow beings. And while we were doing some peer reviews of responses that my composition class wrote, a few of my students were profoundly affected by the lecture and the readings. One, who was not a vegetarian, stated in response to someone else's paper, that it is not an acceptable solution to give the animals more room because they still face torture and death....The video segment was shorter, well-done and of course moving. I thought the music that was added was a nice touch. I wish you both the best with the rest of the vegan tour and may you continue to enlighten minds throughout this troubled nation!" Prof. Alexandra Cvejic, Queens College, 9/28/04

"Your speech moved many in my class. Here is one comment I received from one of my students: 'All meat-consuming people have the blood of thousands of animals on their hands; they are nothing more than—according to our two esteemed speakers—walking animal graveyards. The speakers were not as zealous as I had anticipated, which was good. They spoke reasonably and used different types of logic to appeal to everyone in the audience. One of the things that I thought was interesting was how they kept arguing how animals have feelings and so people should become vegans to spare the animals the pain. They gave an interesting presentation and used interesting terminology (e.g., eggs are a hen's period). While they have not convinced me to give up the life of a brutish meat-consuming animal for the sake of the poor animals' feelings, I am making the switch simply because I want to lead a healthier life.'" Prof. Brandon Judell, City College-New York, 9/20/04

"Thanks so much for your talk in my Applied Social Psychology class on Wednesday. Overall, the response was favorable. You made 2 converts to veganism, out of 22 students! The information and organization were excellent. So was the video clip." Prof. Peter Crabb, Penn State University-Abington, 9/18/04

"Actually, I should thank you. I appreciate your passion and professionalism." Prof. Chuck Edwards, Penn State University, 9/17/04

"You two are a great inspiration to me, and I'm sure to many, many people." Prof. Bill Crain, City College-New York, 9/16/04

"Remember those four difficult students from my class in the spring semester? I truly believe you got to them no matter how wacky they were. I based that on subsequent comments and interactions with them well after the class ended. I really believe that you and Kate plant seeds that take root in ways that eases knowledge into their consciousness and sub-consciousness, and subverts their cantankerousness. Your presentation is always awesome and you accomplish much even with the most irascible of the students. I mean, how many guest lecturers come to a class and provide students with knowledge and information that can save their lives and the lives of their families and friends? Look forward to seeing you in the fall. And thanks for everything." Prof. Gregg Morris, Hunter-CUNY, 7/23/04

"I just wanted to thank the two of you once again for coming to UCF and lecturing to my classes. You are always the highlight of the semester for my students." Prof. Mark Lanier, University of Central Florida, 7/19/04

"Thank you so much for coming to speak in our classes—your and Kate's presentation was a great supplement to class discussions. I sincerely believe that they are more prepared to make informed ethical choices having attended your presentation." Prof. Carrie Sewell, Virginia Tech, 6/26/04

"Thank you once again for your wonderful presentation. It is very apparent that you are dedicated to and well-educated about your beliefs. The students found your lesson thought-provoking. Many reacted negatively, but others did see the possibility of many of the points you made. I believe you have enlightened them and even though they may continue to consume meat, they will now have a much better perspective of what may actually be going on. You are making a difference! I look forward to hearing from you next year. Thanks again!" Cyndi Williams, Mt. Horeb High School (WI), 5/16/04

"Thanks so much for your presentation. Kate did a very fine job as well. I was wondering if you could do a repeat performance this summer. How does July the 27th work in you schedule? Thanks again for your presentation this spring." Prof. Stephen Boyles, Ohio State University, 5/10/04

"Both your presentations were terrific. I already have another professor who wants you for the fall..." Prof. Brandon Judell, City College-New York, 5/9/04

"Just thought I'd let you know that my students enjoyed your presentations. Most had only positive things to say and enjoyed having you in class. You are more than welcome to return to my classes after my research project is over in spring '05. Hope you are doing well and that you'll visit again." Prof. Frank Perez, University of Texas-El Paso, 4/30/04

"Always a pleasure to have you visit our campus and enlighten the students about animal rights. It is always gratifying when I hear several of the students say they are disgusted at the thought of eating animal flesh after your presentation. Keep up the good work and thank Kate for a great presentation!!! See you next fall, Tom" Prof. Tom Ruggiero, University of Texas-El Paso, 4/22/04

"Dear Kate and Gary, forgive me for taking so long to write to you. I want to thank you both for coming to talk to my classes last week. You definitely stirred them up. You have worked up a very impressive lecture. In particular, I liked the way you organized your reasons into moral arguments, health and physiological arguments, and environmental concerns. Thanks again and good luck in your endeavors." Prof. Sandra Dwyer, Georgia State University, 4/15/04

"Thank you for speaking again. I think that you had an impact on each of the students. I look forward to having you speak again in the fall." Prof. Ben Gorman, Montgomery County Community College (PA), 4/15/04

"Thanks very much again for coming through at such short notice and for giving such a polished and provocative talk." Prof. Hugh Gusterson, Georgia Tech, 4/12/04

"I invited Gary Yourofsky and Kate Timko to lecture in my Georgia Tech philosophy class, Science, Technology, and Human Values, and they gave a lively and thought-provoking presentation. I wanted students to be exposed to the idea of right, not as something that already exists in practice and that may be considered natural or self-evident, but as something that is created through advocacy and that requires evaluation and justification. Their presentation did just that. They employed a fascinating array of arguments based on pragmatism, appeals to rational self-interest, scientistic claims about nature and human physiology, emotional provocation through language and multimedia documentation, and classical arguments about rights and categorical imperatives. The subsequent discussion sessions were among the liveliest of the semester. I enthusiastically recommend their lecture to anyone teaching philosophy, politics, sociology, or any class dealing with ethics, values, or policy." Prof. Hans Klein, Georgia Tech, 4/10/04

"I enjoyed your talk. Best of luck with your other lectures this fall. The energy you and Kate have is impressive!" Prof. Jeffrey Moriarty, California State University-Long Beach, 4/4/04

"Kate and you did a good job. I have an e-mail from a student requesting vegan recipes and help locating vegan food at Trader Joe's. She thanks us all for enlightening her. Another student who missed the lecture is e-mailing you regarding a copy of the lecture....I am teaching at the University of San Diego this spring as well. Thank you again for your work." Prof. Valerie Santos, California State University-Long Beach, 4/3/04

"I praise you both for the impact you are having on campuses throughout the nation! As we supped at the [veg restaurant] on the evening before your presentation, I had visions of meals taken by prominent folks in earlier historical social movements. Thanks for your dedication to the cause!" Prof. Mike Weinberg, Grossmont Community College (CA), 4/2/04

"I'm still buzzing, still on a high from the presentation you gave at Grossmont College on March 31st! This was the third one from Gary at this college, and the first to be co-presented by Kate. The first two drew about 25 and 70 students respectively, and this time we got 130, with standing-room-only for about a dozen. Better still, we attracted about ten people from faculty, a sharp improvement over the two that we got last December besides Mike and me....I was so impressed, and so proud once again, to hear you speak. Kate is every bit as superb a monologist and public speaker as Gary is. She makes even more persuasive the passages that reveal the historical confluences of the human feminist and animal-rights movements, and her presence should alert women everywhere to the abuse of female animals as 'breeding machines' for the production of food, furs and leather. I continue to be impressed by how you have constantly revised and 'fine-tuned' your presentation while keeping it substantially the same, and 'on topic.' Two friends of mine, who came to hear you speak for the first time and who are vegans of long standing, were effusive in their praise for both of you. My friend Mitch exclaimed, 'These are exactly the kinds of speakers that we need to reach younger audiences. As great a human being as John Robbins is, I doubt that he could connect with an audience like this one.' My thoughts exactly. I wish that I could arrange several of your presentations in a single semester, and have a different group of 130 or so showing up each time. I can't wait until the two of you come back for the fall semester. Keep up the great fight, and don't ever let your enemies grind you down!" Prof. Gordon M. Brown, Grossmont Community College (CA), 4/1/04

"Hi Gary and Kate. I wanted you to know that the students really enjoyed the classes. It led to a lot of heated debate today. Plus there are always the students who say that they just went out and bought a quart of milk that they won't drink now. Anyway wonderful job. Your talks really set up the Animal Rights part of the course. Thanks again." Prof. John A. Berteaux, San Diego State University, 4/1/04

"Thank YOU so much for coming to speak to my students at Cal Western Law! It was the perfect speech to end our semester. I very much look forward to having you speak to my classes in the future. It's such a pleasure for me meeting all the wonderful and colorful 'soldiers' in this little army of people working to make things better for the animals. Till we meet again." Prof. Kristina Hancock, California Western School of Law, 3/31/04

"As always, I enjoyed your talk and Kate's collaboration with you. I'm already looking forward to your next visit." Prof. Mark Somma, California State University-Fresno, 3/31/04

"So sorry I haven't gotten back to you in so long! But I really want to thank you for your presentations in my classes, and to report that you made quite an impression on some of my students. Several of them have told me that they have become vegans as a result of hearing you talk, and some have gone on to other animal-related activities. Please do let me know when you will be coming back to do some classroom speaking again." Prof. Ronnie Hawkins, University of Central Florida, 3/23/04

"You and Kate really live up to your billing as fantastic speakers. Thanks for joining us." Prof. Linda Schott, Eastern Michigan University, 3/19/04

"It was a rare moment for our students! Thank you for again coming to my classes." Prof. Mike Whitty, University of Detroit-Mercy, 3/16/04

"Thank you again for coming and talking to our small group. I look forward to talking to you at the end of August. Please thank Kate too. It was wonderful to have her voice included." Prof. Carole Bennett, Oakland Community College-Orchard Ridge Campus (MI), 3/15/04

"Indeed, I should be thanking you. I'll be visiting many a website today to learn of more healthy and vegan alternatives. I really should have known better (blinders be damned!!!). My point is thank you, thank you so much. Your talk has enlightened me and made me a far better person morally, and I am so grateful. You are honest, empathetic, consistent (hey, I'm a philosophy prof, had to throw that one in there), moving, passionate, and a true, real person." Prof. Carrie Shea, Wayne State University (MI), 3/13/04

"I was so impressed with your speech that I would definitely invite you back to future classes—including this summer. It was a pleasure to meet both of you. When I get their extra credit assignments back I will share some of their thoughts with you." Prof. Elysa Koppelman, Oakland University (MI), 3/12/04

"It was great to see you both last week at NJCU on Monday and Wednesday. Keep up the great work, Kate, you were fantastic. I told Prof. Roehr that I wanted to attend all three lectures because I was confident that I would learn something different at each one, and I did. I value all of the information you passed on to me this time. Well, I won't miss the opportunity to tell you how much both of you have changed my life. Thanks again. Best regards to you both." Prof. John R. Volk, New Jersey City University, 3/11/04

"I greatly appreciate your team's rhetorical skills. I will forward my students' rhetorical analysis e-class postings as soon as they are complete. I can truly say that I had my mind expanded yesterday, or at least that I was motivated to truly consider the horrors of what I have already learned about animal product industries. Good luck with the cause. I seem to have lost my apathy about animal products. I think I will join my daughter in a meatless lifestyle, and work more diligently to embrace a Vegan lifestyle. I appreciate your empathy with those of us who haven't yet 'crossed over,' and I will keep you updated on my progress." Prof. Sherry Wynn, Oakland University (MI), 3/11/2004

"I'm looking forward to your talks on March 17. I hadn't eaten meat for five days until I had some pork sausage for breakfast this morning, and now I feel tired....Just thought that I'd let you know that your efforts aren't being performed in a vacuum. Last semester I had a student research vegetarianism for his research paper, and he concluded that for the most part what you presented to the room was accurate." Prof. Jim Hallemann, Oakland Community College-Waterford Campus (MI), 3/10/04

"I want to thank you and Kate for speaking in class today. As I mentioned to Kate, my goal is to help them see different approaches to various 'social problems' and I think this topic fit in very well. Your direct and provocative approach delivers a powerful punch. I'm glad you were able to present to my class." Prof. Linda Morrison, Oakland University, 3/8/04

"Hunter-CUNY is the most ethnically and culturally diverse college at CUNY and probably the most diverse college on the Atlantic seaboard; the mean age is about 23 or 24. The fact that you only had five [opposing views] in that class of 35 is surprising. That 35-student class most reflects the Department of Film and Media Studies; the news reporting classes don't—these classes attract the best students. So, what I am saying is that you're dealing with very, very diverse students and yet can find common ground with many them on one of the few subjects/topics that they seem to come together on collectively....I don't believe in tampering with success. But if I was going to make a suggestion, it would be for me not to make a suggestion. I thought everything worked. You and Gary covered a lot of territory in your presentation and Q & A. Look forward to seeing you in the fall." Prof. Gregg Morris, Hunter-CUNY, 3/7/04

"You guys made my semester! I feel so incredibly lucky to have met you both and the timing was truly fate. You are amazing lecturers. You are both charismatic, energetic, and extremely knowledgeable. I think that all of us can learn something from you about transmitting info to undergraduates in a way that is engaging and profoundly thought-provoking. I could see that my students were engaged and moved in a way that they might not have been solely from reading the material. I will not be surprised if some will rethink their personal habits as a result. If they don't change now, perhaps they will eventually. What is most important is that the seeds of Truth have been planted. They are no longer ignorant." Prof. Alexandra Cvejic, Queens College, 3/5/04

"Well, you converted me! After your lecture I went home, gave all of my meat, egg, milk-based products to my boyfriend and became vegan. I went to the store and took your advice to get vegan products and had my first vegan meal this morning. You are a very effective speaker, and everything you said made sense to me. I look forward to being a vegan and living a much healthier life, along with the idea that I now know I am truly respecting the animals that I claimed before to love so much. Thanks for opening my eyes, and I am sure I'll be in touch, as this is all new to me. I would love to have you or Kate come speak to my classes next semester, and I do want to thank you so much again for your time." Prof. Elizabeth Wilson, University of Miami-Ohio, 2/20/04

"I am always grateful for your effort to enrich this class with your genuine presentation. It is very critical to valid instruction to have legitimate experiences for the students. Both sections were benefited by experience. The second section, while seemingly frenetic, was just as valid as the first. I hope I can count on you to return this fall and next winter." Prof. David Zartman, Ohio State University Animal Agriculture Dept., 2/18/04

"Thank you for coming and presenting! You are an excellent speaker (and teacher), and you have a lot of good energy. My students were much more inter- active than they are for other classes with their other professors, so that was a good sign. On a personal note, I learned quite a bit. I've been vegetarian for about 15 years, but not vegan. I wanted to take that next step after hearing your talk, and I was able to find most products (like soy cream for coffee) right in the supermarket. That wasn't possible 15 years ago! About next semester, I won't be teaching until next year this time cuz I'll be on sabbatical. I'd love to have you back when you're in town!" Prof. Frances Blake, Community College of Philadelphia, 2/16/04

"Thank you for coming and sharing with my ethics class and Dr. Marino's Christian Thought class your views on animal rights. I greatly enjoyed your lecture in the ethics class and found your points challenging. I am not a vegetarian but I do admit you are making me revaluate my views, for that I say thank you. Most of all I admire your passion and dedication to this cause. I do not believe we often see people who are passionate about what they feel and believe, so it was very encouraging to see it. I also wanted to let you know that your lectures made many students think about animal rights beyond what they had before. I have heard many students talking about the issue days after you came. I hope your lectures continue to go well and, if possible, to have you come back to Valley Forge in the future." Teaching Asst. Matt Benson, Valley Forge Christian College, 2/15/04

"I very much appreciate your contribution to our students' education, your passion, and your concern for a profoundly important issue. A little heated discussion is a great thing and I am not at all sorry. Light often comes from the clash of ideas. So great job! Hope we can do it again this fall. Much to talk about, but for now, personal and professional thanks. You are appreciated. Blessings!" Prof. Bruce Marino, Valley Forge Christian College, 2/13/04

"What can I say...thank You for another set of inspiring talks....You got 'em all in the first period class. *Everyone* in the class said the same thing: 'I can't eat meat anymore.' One girl said she got physically ill when her mother put a roasted chicken on the table that night. I'd guess about 85% in the afternoon class. But even those who said they still intended to eat meat also said the lecture made them think....Bravo, my Friend!!" Prof. Mel Seesholtz, Penn State University-Abington, 2/13/04

"Both of your lectures ROCKED. Only a barbarian could have missed it. This whole process with you and PETA gives me some faith in America, though I have no concept of patriotism whatsoever. I am with you in that this is the next major human revolution. You have done Rollins, and me, a great service. Thanks." Prof. John Burris, Rollins College (FL), 2/7/04

"You have a genuine gift for reaching college-age students. Distinct from most college lectures, you communicate from the heart at a gut level and students respond very positively. Several found me yesterday to thank me for bringing you to class and suggested that I continue to schedule you to give lectures." Prof. Mark Somma, California State University-Fresno, 12/5/03

"What can I say, Gary, but yet another stellar presentation! If anything, this one was even better than the one you gave last spring, because you injected more humor and repartee, and made the students feel very much at ease while shocking the hell out of them! It's not easy to speak of animal cruelty in humorous terms and still 'stay on point' without diluting one's message, but you did just that, and so masterfully to boot. As you know, on occasions like this one it's typical for many students to respond by saying 'This is just a bunch of bullshit, and I really don't care.' Yet it made me so proud to see none of that issuing from the students at Grossmont; indeed I was amazed and gratified to see so many of them eagerly snapping up your videos, and donating money to help the cause.

Immediately after your presentation we went back to the classroom for Symbolic Logic as usual, but nevertheless spent a few precious moments reflecting on what you had said. One student in the class was particularly praiseful; she claimed that 'I like the way he "talked straight" to us, and didn't preach, didn't rant, didn't moralize, and didn't berate us for being "miserable, meat-eating sinners."' Were there any disappointments for me? One. Outside of Mike and me, only two people on the faculty of Grossmont College thought it worth their while to attend your presentation. That doesn't speak well for certain learned adults who purport to be better-educated, better-informed, more mature, and less afraid of the truth than their students.

However, you should also know that we had our annual Philosophy Dept. Christmas get-together this weekend, and on the buffet spread there were positively no meat dishes anywhere. Not vegan, perhaps, but there was no meat on that table. Our Department Chair explained to me that after hearing your presentation, she could not, in good conscience, celebrate Christmas by presenting meat at the party table." Prof. Gordon M. Brown, Grossmont Community College (CA), 12/3/03

"Just wanted to let you know that your time with my 8 a.m. class had a profound impact the other day...PROFOUND. About half the class said they haven't been able to eat meat or consumed dairy since 11/25...and have had somewhat heated 'discussions' with their parents. Jessica, who works at a day care center, almost cried when she told of how she just couldn't tell all those kids to 'drink their milk' during snack time. Only a few said something like, 'Yeah, he made sense, but I'm still gonna eat meat. I like it, and it's much more "convenient" than hunting for veggie-stuff...' or 'I just don't care...'" Prof. Mel Seesholtz, Penn State University-Abington, 12/2/03

"You did an excellent job of conveying the general message of the animal rights philosophy: the horrific suffering experienced by animals in factory farms, the impact on the environment, the contribution of meat-eating to world hunger, the the health effects of a meat-based diet. You were so thorough and well-versed on many things I even didn't know, and I am a vegetarian of eight years and a philosopher of animal issues. Your delivery was clear and respectful, and powerfully persuasive. It is my belief that you are right in your assessment: this is the most promising way to turn people on to the cause." Prof. Margaret Betz Hull, Penn State University-Abington, 11/26/03

"Well, you really made a believer out of me! Your talks were great. I know that you could tell the students really enjoyed it. I thoroughly got into hearing your 'second talk' too when you were conversing with some of the students after class. I was serious about your making a believer out of me, and I am really trying the vegetarian part already. Thanks for broadening my life a bit more. Thanks again for sharing your time with us." Prof. Sonia Love, University of North Texas, 11/14/03

"Gary—You were better and more effective than ever. You changed some hearts and minds today." Prof. Jack Lessenberry, Wayne State University, 11/6/03

"The presentation was excellent. Best guest speaking lecture I've ever had. There is nothing I can suggest to make it better." Prof. Gregg Morris, Hunter-CUNY, 10/24/03

"Your presentations fit well with the week's topic of psychological issues concerning food. Your presentation was very compelling. The video clips you showed were horrific (but I think could have been worse!). Your command of information was impressive. My students were highly engaged during the presentation and question-and-answer session, and several of them told me later that they were seriously considering becoming vegetarians, if not vegans. In sum, my students and I found your visit to be very rewarding." Prof. Peter Crabb, Penn State University-Abington, 10/21/03

"Today was EXCELLENT! Your narration of the video and the extended Q & A, which seemed to make the wealth of information you present more 'personal' since it came in response to direct questions, worked well indeed. What particularly hit me was the 'simplicity' theme (especially when the one student started over-intellectualizing). To inflict such horrors is simply wrong. Period. End of debate. Made me think of The Matrix: how some, even when they knew it was a lie, would still defend it, absolutely." Prof. Mel Seesholtz, Penn State University-Abington, 10/16/03

"I am unable to express myself on the fabulous work you did in my classes on Monday the eighth. I was simply overwhelmed with the outstanding presentation and your ability to really provoke some deep thinking. I was so deeply moved that I lost my ability to express myself verbally. It was superb and the reactions of the 80 students were very encouraging. The visuals were very convincing, I thank you for coming and I am inviting you again next semester." Prof. Catherine F. Meyer, University of Central Florida, 10/12/03

"Thank YOU. You gave them 'food for thought'! It was great to see them so stirred up about an issue, even to the point of doing some non-required outside research, and no doubt many of them will write passionately—pro and con—about what you shared. I'm sure many will ponder it for a long time to come, and some will make changes in their lives as well. I'll look forward to hearing from you in December." Prof. Gail Radley, Stetson University (FL), 10/11/03

"THANK YOU for coming to talk to the class. It really was a great presentation, and I'm so impressed that you could be so dynamic and engaging at the end of such a long day. My brother and I spent a lot of time talking about your presentation yesterday, and it has really given me a lot to think about. I'm sure the students feel the same, and I'll report back after next week's class on what they thought. I could see, as I'm sure you could, that they were challenged and stimulated by it; and that's all you can ask for when you're teaching! So thanks very much, especially for stepping in at the last minute. I really appreciate it, and would love to know when you are next back on tour in this neck of the woods. Your presentation was very challenging, but never crossed the boundary of appropriateness. I would highly recommend your presentation to other colleagues." Prof. Jane Compson, University of Central Florida, 10/11/03

"You touched me and many of my students and I thank you. That is what education is all about." Prof. Linda Musante, University of Tampa, 10/9/03

"Overall I was very impressed... the quality of your presentation was outstanding. I am very happy that I invited you to come and I intend to invite you back next semester. I have already recommended you to my colleagues. The students responded very well to your talk, and when I asked them whether they would recommend you to speak to future philosophy classes, they responded with an over- whelming YES. I asked the students to write briefly about what they found most interesting or provoc- ative, and it is clear that you caused significant individual reflection. For example, I was very surprised to hear that a good number of students are now going vegan or have stopped drinking milk, etc. While I cannot adequately summarize the student responses, here is one quote from a student paper: 'I thoroughly enjoyed Gary's lecture on veganism. He is a phenomenal animal rights activist and clearly explained all of his points in great detail....Gary was an excellent speaker that I will always remember.'" Prof. Michael Strawser, University of Central Florida, 10/8/03

"My students enjoyed your presentations, and I heard several positive remarks from my colleagues yesterday as well. I really enjoyed meeting you. Your presentations were among the best I've hosted. You are a dynamic speaker who conveys a lot of enthusiasm for the topic. You are also very knowledgeable and approachable. My students' comments were very positive and some of them expressed an interest in becoming/considering vegetarianism or veganism. Although I am neither of these, your presentation made me decide to lower my consumption of all meats. You impacted my students, and I would be glad to have you return." Prof. Frank Perez, University of Texas-El Paso, 10/2/03

"Thank you for a job well done! I know how difficult it can be to repeat a lecture/presentation so many times in one day. Hurray to you for not only getting through it, but with the same level of interest and energy as you had at 7:30. Congratulations to you. I hope we can do it all again in the spring. If I can arrange it, would you like to do El Paso Community College as well? Otherwise, I hope your trip turns out the way you want it to. Good luck and God speed. We certainly learned a lot from you. The students' responses have been varied; what I love is that they have opinions strong enough to feel compelled to express them. This is one of the barriers I fight as a public speaking teacher; getting them to realize there are things they care about so strongly that they are worth talking about out loud. Whether or not you can claim a slew of converts to veganism from my classes, you inspired them to care. That's a lot." Prof. Sherry Lewis, University of Texas-El Paso, 10/1/03

"Thank you so much for such a great lecture. The thematic component I use for my composition courses is social justice and civic responsibility. I try to get my students to understand that we are all—animal kingdom and human societies—interconnected and our behaviors relate (both positively and negatively) to the environment and the many problems we as a society have. Your lecture was certainly informative and I am sure my students benefited tremendously." Prof. Mary Gomrad, University of Central Florida, 9/25/03

"THANK YOU! I cannot express how eye-opening and transformative your talk was. I really appreciated your work today and I am already changing my diet. Wow! To those who are open, you are going to make an incredible impact. To those who are not, you at least give them the exposure, thus the possibility for change in the future. By the way, you should know that I was totally preaching to my coworkers about what I learned today. You are doing a great thing!" Prof. Claire Magaha, Stetson University (FL), 9/23/03

"Thank you for your informative and uplifting presentation on the 18th. In my view, you are the consummate 'animal rights' educator and I have yet to witness my class in so rapt a state of attention. Your exposé of the animal exploitation practices of our culture will fit nicely into the class discussion of interspecies ethics. Keep up the great work!" Prof. Gary Calore, Penn State University-Abington, 3/19/03

"What can I say? Beyond excellent. Truly. You have changed my life." Prof. Mel Seesholtz, Penn State University-Abington, 3/18/03

"Thank you so much for coming last week! It was a fun day, and it was great seeing people so interested in what you had to say. I wanted to let you know that a student here at Westminster is going to start an animal rights group! An email was sent out yesterday asking everyone interested in veganism, vegetarianism, and animal rights to contact this student. I guess about 20 people responded, and Student Activities and Counseling and Health Services are going to support this group! So I think you should list this as another success!!!" Prof. Jill-Anne Fowler, Westminster College (MO), 3/11/03

"I met you last night at your presentation for Veganism at Westminster College. My name is Rich Geenen and I am the philosophy teacher here at the college. I enjoyed your talk and found it very informative. You provide a lot of style to your presentation that is rhetorically effective and carries a great deal of impact. I would imagine it has a profound effect on many people's lives and that is quite admirable. I also agree with the vast majority of your position and many of your arguments. You are an admirable speaker with an admirable cause." Prof. Rich Geenen, Westminster College (MO), 3/7/03

"I really enjoyed your presentation at UMC. It takes a lot of courage to take on people in the Midwest on these issues. Do contact me over the summer. If I don't hear from you, I will be in contact to work out details for your presentation during fall semester. Thanks for all of your great work and the information!" Prof. Victoria Johnson, University of Missouri-Columbia, 3/5/03

"You were just excellent and, although I have been laying some foundation (like having my students read 101 Reasons Why I Am a Vegetarian), a few of my (male) students were offended and angry that I was 'pushing' this issue. I think you may have made a dent in them—as a couple of the most resistant stayed for the entire lecture and most of the Q and A. Anyway, that would really be an accomplishment. Thanks a bunch—you have a great approach—I loved the stuff about being herbivores." Prof. Julie Andrzejewski, St. Cloud State University (MN), 2/26/03

"Just a note to tell you that although I have seen many presentations on this topic, I was especially moved, and shaken, by yours. I greatly admire the way you presented your message. From what I had been hearing, I imagined that you might be 'in your face,' that you'd fly off the handle, rant, be a little combative perhaps, etc., but I never got that impression from you. You have a gift for imparting your message with passion and conviction, yet with just the right amount of self-control. As I mentioned when we spoke, I believe that this movement is populated by too many speakers with good intentions but no public-speaking skills. I wish we had more speakers of the kind like you. Look forward to seeing you again in the fall. You truly are an educator AND a liberator, in the best sense of both words. KEEP IT GOING!!" Prof. Gordon M. Brown, Grossmont Community College (CA), 2/21/03

"My students have voted with a large majority that your presentation is appropriate to the class and that you should be invited to appear in future classes. Many students applauded the spirit and presentation skills you possess. Not so many are in full approval of the message, but they respect your position and commitment. I am glad we have become acquainted. Is it possible to book you for an appearance again in the fall quarter when I will be teaching this class again?" Prof. David Zartman, Ohio State University Animal Agriculture Dept., 2/14/03

"You provided a thought-provoking presentation in Dr. Zartman's class last week (2/6/03). I would like to prevail upon you to do a similar presentation in the Spring Quarter version of the same class. Would you be available May 1st, 6th or 8th?" Prof. Steve Boyles, Ohio State University, 2/11/03

"Sounds as though the speaking circuit is going quite well for you and that you are very busy! I am happy to hear that! Thank you for the DVD (that was VERY nice of you!). It was amazing and eye-opening. I am looking forward to seeing your presentation in person at UNH this semester. I wish you lots of luck. See you in April." Prof. Karin Best, University of New Hampshire, 2/12/03

"Thank you again for a very stimulating presentation on animal rights and veganism yesterday. Personally, I have been thinking about your message, and I will be making significant adjustments. Your dedication and sacrifices not only help animals without a voice, but they indirectly help all of us who benefit from environmental improvements that come with the reduced dependence of animals as a food source. I do want to repeat my gratitude for your great sacrifices and efforts." Rich Linden, Eisenhower High School, 1/29/03

"Your return visit on April 14 works perfectly. I've put the finishing touches on the schedule, and I want to thank you again for your flexibility with the 'Gandhi' class. And speaking of that, I keep having the immense pleasure of having students in that class tell me one by one—sometimes they sneak to my office to say it quietly, other times it's in a note on a paper—that they've been vegetarian ever since your visit. (A few good souls had converted earlier due to the Animal Liberation and Diet for a New America readings, but they are especially appreciative that your visit strongly confirmed their decision and kept it going.) Prof. Cathy Comstock, Colorado University-Boulder, 12/20/02

"Having come home from a period of academic research in Europe, I found the video of your lecture that you so kindly sent to me, and watched it the other day with great interest. I found myself saying 'well, he is right, he is right, he is right' to just about everything you said. I want to congratulate you on an excellent lecture. Not all of your arguments I found sound, from the perspective of a philosophy prof, but actually I don't know how much that matters. The issue of cruelty is by far the most convincing and the taped evidence is overwhelming....Is there a donation that you would like to the PETA organisation for the use of the video? I plan to show it in my college Ethics classes." Prof. Joanie Lugtig, Quebec City, Canada, 12/11/02

"We would be glad for a return visit. I had very positive feedback from my students and some of the townspeople who drifted in. At the very least, you made a dent in meat consumption if not a total abstinence. Even the session I missed that had the altercation generated favorable commentary from some of the students. Thanks for the drama and the logic. You had both of them going your way." Prof. Arvilla Taylor, Midwestern State University (TX), 12/9/02

"Thanks to Gary's program, today is my seventh meatless day. I feel like an addict in a 12-step program: Hello. My name is Millie and I'm a carnivore. Today is my one-week anniversary on the wagon. I bought a book called This Can't Be Tofu. (Luckily, I've always liked tofu.) I'm still doing eggs and dairy, but Rome wasn't built in a day." Prof. Millie Gore, Midwestern State University (TX), 12/6/02

"I pledged to never eat an animal again, and I haven't, and I won't. And I'm not alone in this since your visit. Powerful stuff." Prof. Chris Schadler, University of New Hampshire, 12/5/02

"You will be happy to know that you have several converts, some to vegetarianism (including me) and a few to veganism. All in all I think that most of them will never be able to drink milk again. In their response papers there were several comments about what an engaging speaker you were and that you got their attention, and many of them admired your conviction, even if they didn't agree. Of course there were grumblings about your tactics, but that is to be expected. I was very surprised how many of my students had no idea where their meat came from and how it got to their table....Thanks for coming, it was a lot of fun, and I hope to see you next semester." Lindsay Ann Landgraf, Teaching Fellow, University of North Texas, 12/4/02

"I've been a vegetarian for 18 years, a vegan for about the last 10 of those, and have considered myself an animal rights activist all my life. I've heard quite a few speakers on the subject of animal rights, and I have to say you are one of the most persuasive, passionate and eloquent of them. You were certainly preaching to the choir WITH ME at Midwestern State U.—I was already aware of the issues and realities of factory farming, circuses, dog and cat overpopulation, furs, etc. However, your hard-hitting videos were hard even for a seasoned veteran like me to watch. I find it hard to imagine sitting through one of your presentations and not being changed, unless you are completely heartless and/or brain dead." Jan Herzog, elementary school teacher, 12/2/02

"It was great to have you. I would say all four of your sessions were very worthwhile. Thanks for opening up the dialogue with our students. I hope you'll visit our campus again." Prof. Sue Henson, Midwestern State University (TX), 11/29/02

"You were the best! Please keep up the good fight!" Prof. Ken Robol, Halifax Community College (NC), 11/24/02

"I just wanted to thank you again for a brilliantly delivered, mind-opening, inspiring presentation. I've been to many lectures and presentations in my career, but NONE was as moving, as thought-provoking as yours. As soon as I get my spring semester schedule, I'll be in touch about arranging another lecture. The Campus will be purchasing the DVD version of your presentation as soon as I complete the paper work. As I mentioned, your message will be the focus of the class's last research paper of the semester. I'll keep you posted. Again, sincere thanks and warmest wishes. FYI: I was "unable" to teach my 9:30 class, because my mind is still whirling. THANK YOU!!" Prof. Mel Seesholtz, Penn State University-Abington, 11/19/02

"I greatly appreciated your presentation about PETA in my class last week; there were many important issues covered, and the students are certainly well-served by hearing what you had to say. Again, my thanks! Please feel free to pass the above message on to the folks at PETA to use same in any manner you deem appropriate." Prof. Irwin Sperber, SUNY-New Paltz, 11/18/02

"Thank you so much...I wish I could tell you all that I am left thinking...and I held a discussion section with some of the students following your presentation—there were many good questions, some tears, and a long talk about eggs and the poultry industry, which is something else I am particularly interested in. You are a very powerful presence, and I could see the effect you have on students...I guess we all contribute in our own ways, yours being high-profile and mine being small-scale education...but on every level, it counts...and I am very pleased to have had the chance to meet you. I would have enjoyed talking to you more. I WILL KEEP IN TOUCH! Because I think you have a wonderful way of presenting some very difficult information, and more and more people need to hear it." Kate York, teaching assistant, University of New Hampshire, 11/5/02

"I want to start by saying 'Thank You' for being such an inspiration this afternoon. Your job as an animal rights educator is my dream job. Don't get me wrong, I am not dreaming of arrests and gaining repulsive undercover footage; I am however dreaming of raising people's awareness of these issues on a larger scale. Though I educate on these issues any time the situation arises by speaking up in social situations, writing editorials, and writing protest letters, it never seems enough....Gary, you are one of my heroes! I can't possibly express to you how much I appreciate and respect what you do. You are an amazing speaker who has made me feel more powerful leaving that classroom today. That is, more powerful in the sense that my individual actions can have an effect and that I need to spread what you shared with us today to as many people as possible." Linsey Ann Cuti, graduate instructor, Illinois State University, 10/25/02

"I wanted to thank you for your talk and let you know that your message had a serious impact on me. As a grad student in Cultural Studies, I do my work in discourse analysis and am very aware of the nature of power, dominance and ideology that is at work in the way our country deals with food production and consumption. I have a very soft heart where animals are concerned, I dote on my rescued dog, and have shied away from info on factory farming because I just didn't want to know. Though, repeatedly through my travels, my reading and my own work, the information has been surfacing, which has forced me to keep coming back to the inconsistency between how I feel about my dog and how the food I eat made it to my plate. After your talk, the big picture (ecological, moral, health, political issues) fell into place. What really motivates me is the personal, and I keep coming back to the glaring inconsistency between how I feel about my dog and how I (don't) deal with the casualties of factory farming. I realize that I can no longer live with that inconsistency and am taking the steps necessary to become fully vegan. I just needed a good kick in the pants from the likes of you. Again, because my own work is discourse analysis, I found your talk fascinating as much for how you made your presentation as for your content (though the content obviously had a big effect on me). I don't have the time or space to go into the whole critique but your sophisticated arguments that preempted every rebuttal reflected well on your message, your organization, and radical activism. Thank you for your time and your passion—you have made a convert (who will probably make more over time as I subtly influence my friends and family). I wish you the best in your future work." Kerry Murray, teaching assistant, University of Arizona, 10/17/02

"First, let me just say 'thank you' for being so generous with your time. My class at St. Mary's was electrified!! It's clear that you really made a difference. They were impressed and genuinely moved by the presentation. They all agreed that you changed the way they thought about many different things—marvelous work!! I'll be sending you some of the final papers in December for you to read, if you're cool with that. Man, it was so great having you in class—let's keep in touch. You always have a friend in me!!" Prof. Alex Green, St. Mary's College (CA), 10/8/02

"Many thanks for your fine presentation at Henry Ford Community College. Several students I spoke with afterwards said they were very moved by it." Geraldine Grunow, Administrator, Henry Ford Community College, 9/30/02