Generally, the choices a college president has to make are those affecting academia, enrollment, budgeting. But, Michael Sorrel of Paul Quinn College went beyond that and made an interesting lifestyle choice for the students on campus. Sorrell banned pork from the campus dining hall. Paul Quinn College has been going through a renovation of sorts and teaching and maintaining a healthy diet is now part of the ethos.
Due to budget constraints, the school was forced to close its football program a few years back. That was the first time Sorrell jumped at the opportunity to change the way people ate. He tore up the football field and replaced it with an organic garden, which goes straight into the campus dining hall or gets donated to the community. In addition, the school has become more conscious of health concerns and taken active roles in awareness programs for AIDS and heart disease.
Sorrell said recently: “Eating pork can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, sodium retention and heart problems, not to mention weight gain and obesity. Therefore, as a part of our continued effort to improve the lives and health of our students, Paul Quinn College and its food service partner Perkins Management have collaborated to create a pork-free cafeteria.” Removing pork is just one more step towards improving the menu. “If I’m a betting person, I bet the future holds a 100-percent healthy dining campus. We’re not there yet, but we’re gradually working our way there.”