Visitors to campus this weekend can expect the smells of grilling sausage, burgers and other meat, but some students and tailgaters would prefer snacking on food grown from the earth.World Vegetarian Day kicked off Vegetarian Awareness Month on Oct. 1 to encourage vegetarians to educate others on the benefits of a meatless diet.North American Vegetarian Society founded World Vegetarian Day in 1977, and the International Vegetarian Union endorsed it in 1978, according to the NAVS Web site. Vegetarians can take advantage of the month to raise awareness, said Ryan Huling, senior college campaign coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.There is an increase of requests for flyers and stickers from PETA during the month, Huling said.Vegetarianism is a great way to keep a healthy diet and protest against factory farming and inhumane slaughterhouses, he said.”We are a culture of people who don’t want to eat our vegetables,” said English professor June Pulliam.Pulliam started practicing strict vegetarianism in 2002 as a way to maintain a healthy weight.”If you really want to keep the weight off, stop eating meat,” she said. Pulliam said she brings her own lunch because there is a lack of vegetarian food on campus.Restaurants near campus, like The Chimes, Serrano’s Salsa Company and Louie’s Cafe offer vegetarian-friendly cuisines, she said.Ethnic foods also have many vegetarian options because they come from cultures that don’t eat large portions of meat, Pulliam said.The Vegetarian Society of LSU was previously an organization on campus, but it is no longer active because of a lack of student involvement, she said.Pulliam said she hopes to reinstate the group on campus, but she needs students to initiate the society back together.George Waldron, former member of the Vegetarian Society and University graduate, said the group was a great way to spread the word on campus for students looking for vegetarian options.Huling said about one in four college students are actively seeking vegan options according to a 2004 study conducted by ARAMARK.”[Vegetarianism] is much healthier than eating a Big Mac every day, and it makes the world greener,” said Victoria Jackson, art and design freshman.PETA is holding its annual competition to find the most vegetarian-friendly colleges in North America for 2009, Huling said.The University of Florida — the only winning school from Southeastern Conference — ranked No. 7 in 2008 for its population of pro-vegetarian students and full vegan stations at the university’s dinning hall.LSU Dining offers a dedicated line for vegetarians at 459 Commons, said David Heidke, director for LSU dining. Almost every food outlet on campus offers vegetarian options, he said.Stephanie Yowell, biology sophomore, said she became a vegetarian during her junior year of high school but recently began eating chicken in the last two weeks.”It’s just really hard to find vegetarian food on campus,” she said.Amanda DiCarlo, kinesiology freshman, said she finds she gets a lot of nutrients from meat.But Waldron said vegetarians can maintain healthy lifestyles by finding proteins in other foods like peanut butter, beans and rice.—–Contact Kristen M’lissa Rowlett at [email protected]