Courtesy of www.uterwincenter.com

On September 8th, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) hosted something extraordinary that somehow seemed to have slipped under the radar: a brief chat with Mr. Ricardo Arjona.

For those of you who are not immediately struck by the frenzy usually accompanying a recognition of a world-famous name, Ricardo Arjona is a Grammy Award-winning, Guatemalan singer. He has been recording music for over 20 years now and prides himself in the cambios sociales (or, social change) that he has succeeded in encouraging through his art. As a Cuban American from the hub of Latino culture that is South Florida, I in particular found his presence on campus to be a must-see occurrence. (I also somewhat arrogantly texted all my Latin American friends from back home a hazy, Blackberry-snapped picture to make them aware of my good fortune.)

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Bruce Friedrich, PETA Vice President, thinks noshing on chickens is unethical. Do you?

Upon first glance, it was apparent that the people attending the PETA debate last weekend were an crunchy bunch. The scent of patchouli wafted out from Science Center D, and inside the blue double doors, debate snacks of the spinach tortilla-and-hummus variety were eagerly gobbled up by Birkenstocks- and corduroy-clad attendees.

All mocking aside, though, the audience was, on the whole, unrepresentative of your typical Harvard kid. Firstly, they had trekked out to the Science Center (Good lord!) on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Secondly, they did this for the express purpose of listening to Bruce Friedrich, PETA vice president, argue that people should ethically treat animals (duh), while Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society member Wesley Hopkin counter-argued that people can ethically taste animals.

So, how’d it turn out? Was it super-intense, resulting in hummus and all-natural tortilla chips splattering the walls? Was everyone so persuaded by Friedrich that, the moment the debate concluded, they immediately rushed out to CVS to stock up on Odwalla bars and Soyjoy? All that and more, after the jump.

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