College and University Blog

From the chocolate-covered bacon offered at state fairs to the limited-edition bacon sundaes being sold at Burger King this summer, the United States has progressed into a country that is suffering from bacon mania. Bacon is a booming business in this country but students at one small Dallas college have learned that the fatty strips of pork have been banned from campus dining halls.

Paul Quinn College Bacon Ban: Campus Goes Pork Free

Michael J. Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College, decided to stop offering bacon—and all other pork products—to promote healthy lifestyle choices among Paul Quinn students. “When you come to college, you come to be educated,” Sorrell, who was recently profiled by The Dallas Observer as one of the Dallas metro area’s 30 most interesting people, told the media. “We thought we could do more in the area of promoting healthy lifestyle choices and healthy eating habits.”

According to Inside Higher Ed, he justified the decision as such: “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.”

Aiming for a Healthier College Campus

Paul Quinn College is a historically black college (HBCU) with a student body comprised mostly of low-income minority students. The bacon ban is far from being Sorrell’s only big change on the Paul Quinn campus during his five years as president. The availability of fast food, fatty foods and sweet foods and yes, pork, had already been reduced.

When the football team was cut, the football field was turned into an organic garden that has already produced 6,000 pounds of food. It is used in campus cafeterias and donated. A grocery store that will provide fresh produce to the area is even in the works, reports USA Today.

Plenty of bacon enthusiasts will undoubtedly be disappointed, but as Sorrell says, “The reality of it is, it’s not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. You can be OK without pork. I think they’ll survive.”

Related Posts:

Avoid the Freshman Fifteen: College Imposes Mandatory Fitness Assessment

Making Healthier Food Choices in the University Dining Hall

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Posted on 8 Aug

Melissa Rhone+

Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.