What Connor’s Saying…

Dear Colleen,

My name is Connor Billups and I’m a freshman at the University of Central Florida. During high school I was content being an on-again, off-again vegetarian and I used to think vegans were starving extremists. I had that idyllic American farm image that you’ve referred to stuck in my head. I had no idea about the cruelties committed in the dairy and egg industries! Suffice it to say, since stumbling upon your podcast (combined with watching “Food, Inc” around the same time), my world has been rocked! No more of this wishy-washy version of vegetarianism that I used for ‘dieting’ purposes. I’ve now committed to becoming a vegetarian (and in time, a vegan) as a life choice. I haven’t eaten meat in over two months now and I’ve never felt happier!

I’m lucky to have a supportive group of friends and fellow vegetarians here on campus with me, as well as my equally compassionate boyfriend who has been waiting for me to make this decision for a while now. Usually we have to rely on our campus cafeteria’s limited vegetarian station, but on Fridays we cook a completely vegan meal for our group of friends. With time we’ll work up to two vegan meals a week, then three, and so on until veganism has become a lifestyle.

If you had told me a few months ago that I was going to transition to veganism, I would have fought it tooth and nail! But hearing the facts laid out plainly in your podcast has truly changed my mind and my heart. My relationships with people have improved exponentially, and my boyfriend and I have grown so close from this experience. You are such an eloquent and graceful speaker, and have such patience with subjects that are understandably frustrating for someone who really cares. You are my role model, and my hope is that if someone criticizes me about this life choice, that I am able to handle it as calmly and gracefully as you do.

Thank you again, for being an eye-opener.

Much Love! –Connor Billups    : )