You don’t have to swear off cheese or force kale into every meal to join Plant-Based Canes. All you need is an open mind and a taste for sustainability.
PBC is a student club centered around developing a sense of community for vegans and vegetarians. Its goal is to educate students on the benefits of eating more plants for health, the animals and environment through outreach events.
“I think a lot of people misconstrue us,” Gabriel Izaguirre, president of PBC, said. “It’s not just about veganism, it’s more about incorporating plant based alternatives into our everyday lives and promoting more sustainable eating.”
Switching to a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If you’re curious, you can start with small switches: try out a plant-based milk such as oat, almond or soy, or opt for tofu over chicken.
Not sure where to start? Want some company for dinner? Stop by PBC’s weekly dinners at the Mahoney-Pearson dining hall. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. the club gets together to eat at the patio with meals made by Chef Vincent. Whether you’re already on the diet or curious or just hungry, all are welcome.
No Cane Card swipe is necessary to enter the dining hall, just tell the door staff you’re there for the Plant Based Canes weekly club meet-up.
Izaguirre hopes that the biggest thing members take away from being part of this community is that they don’t have to sacrifice quality or flavor in order to be sustainable.
TikTok vegan content can portray plant-based living as less of a lifestyle and more of a competition. Some creators note that these conversations can shift attention away from broader topics like sustainability.
For many Gen Z students, plant-based living isn’t about perfection. It’s about balance and community. PBC embodies this mindset.
Rather than forcing strict regulations on its members, the club instead focuses on building a more mindful campus culture around sustainability and wellness.
After their executive board dissolved last semester as most leaders graduated, Izaguirre and secretary Linley Loew found themselves holding the organization together.
“We’ve slowly built up since then,” he said. Now, with a full board again, PBC has been expanding with events like teaching kitchens and campus tablings.
Izaguirre, Loew and Michelina Witte, PBC’s faculty advisor, met with Mike Ross, the head of UM Dining, and Chef Vincent over the summer. According to Witte, this meeting “enabled us to retain continuity with our partnership w/ UM Dining.”
Plant-Based Canes is proving that plant-based living can be flexible, flavorful and judgment-free. No “vegan police” required.