CU freshman makes the cut in online contest
For freshman Leonard Sun, being vegetarian has paid off in more ways than one.
Upon entering in an online contest entitled ‘Cutest Vegetarian Alive’ on the People for the Ethnical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website (www.peta2.com), Sun is now one of 31 other finalists competing for the winning title.
The California-native film studies major has been a vegetarian for three years.
“The way animals are treated in factory farms, testing labs and even zoos is messed up,” Sun said.
Sun said he randomly checked out the PETA2 website, which focuses at raising awareness about the treatment of animals amongst high school and college students, saw the contest feature and entered.
“I just submitted my personal information, a photo and the URL to my MySpace web page,” he said.
According to Marta Holmberg, the Street Team Coordinator of PETA, the selection process was difficult because their website received more than 3,500 entries.
“We have narrowed it down to 32 finalists; 16 guys and 16 girls,” Holmberg said. “There will be one winner from each category.”
Holmberg said the PETA panel tried to choose a wide variety of ages and demographics, which wasn’t hard to do since people entered the contest from all across the globe.
“PETA2 is awesome; check it out,” Sun said.
Senior Jacki Strenio, an economics major, has been vegetarian for two years.
She said an honors class she took at CU solidified real reasons for being vegetarian.
“I think the contest is a good, fun idea for raising awareness about a vegetarian lifestyle,” Strenio said. “It’s pretty sweet that a CU Boulder student is a finalist; I would like to meet him.”
According to Holmberg, each male and female contest winner will receive a package of vegetarian goodies and a chance to model a PETA2 T-shirt on the website.
The cutest vegetarians alive will be announced on April 23.
For more information, contact Campus Press Staff Writer Heather Koski at heather.koski@colorado.edu
