On Saturday February 16th, Café The Crown will welcome its visitors to the world of veganism, with vegan food and drinks, live music and an appearance from Scottish vegan activist Séimí.
The VSA is Groningen’s first official student association dedicated to veganism, and has been advertising itself as the first vegan student association in the Netherlands.
The idea for a vegan student organisation was born from VSA President Alicja Jeleńska’s curiosity over the summer. She saw that there wasn’t an existing group in Groningen and was determined to start something once she arrived in the city.
‘Young and vibrant’
Both Alicja and the organisation’s treasurer, Sofia Lindholm, see the ‘young and vibrant’ city of Groningen as a place where veganism can thrive. Sofia describes life as a vegan in the city as ‘super easy.’ She highlights the ever-expanding selection in supermarkets and restaurants as examples of this.
Months of hard work have been realised in the build-up to next week’s event. Balancing university work and free time hasn’t been easy according to Alicja, but the group has managed to meet ten times since September.
The results speak for themselves. Over 70 people turned up to their showing of the documentary Dominion in December. More than thirty eager listeners were spilling out of their first meeting at the University Library in September.
Potluck
Other popular events have included ‘potlucks’ where everyone brings their own vegan meals to share with others. Their popularity has continued to bloom, with 175 likes on Facebook and almost 450 Instagram followers.
Both Sofia and Alicja have been encouraged by the group’s start and are confident their numbers will continue to grow. The pair hope that they can encourage fellow students to see the ‘many benefits’ of going vegan. Sofia hopes that ‘we – the association – can make a real difference here in Groningen .’
Whatever the future holds, Sofia and Alicja are looking forward to a relaxing party on Saturday 16 February. The Vegan Student Association Groningen is open to all students, whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or just curious.
Their launch party at The Crown will be from 19:00-00:00, it’s free, and you can register your interest here.