Activists want KFC banned from Elgin Community College
A group of Elgin Community College students claim the Colonel does not do chicken right.
After being presented with a petition from the Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals group, ECC's student council in May unanimously voted to ban KFC from roosting on campus.
Now, members of the animal rights group want ECC's board of trustees to do the same.
"KFC would not be able to sell their products or open a restaurant on campus until they change their practices," said Jason Levy, president of SETA.
This spring, SETA members collected more than 300 signatures from students and faculty in favor of the KFC ban, before handing the petition to the student council.
The council has no authority to bring or ban restaurants from campus, Levy said, which is why the group is hoping the college board will pass their own resolution.
ECC is the first known college in Illinois to organize a campaign against the restaurant chain, said Ryan Huling, director of college campaigns for Peta2, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' youth division.
In January, Florida Gulf Coast University became the first college to have its student council approve a resolution banning the chain from its campus.
About 20 colleges around the country, including Syracuse, Eastern Michigan and Georgetown have since begun their own campaigns, Huling said.
At Elgin Community College, SETA members spent last semester talking to students about the changes People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has requested KFC make.
PETA wants KFC, the largest buyer of chickens in the world, to adopt an "animal welfare program" that would promise to stop slitting chickens' throats and scalding them while they are still conscious. It also asks the chain to stop feeding growth hormones to the birds, and to place them in their crates with greater care.
An animal welfare committee would monitor changes and recommend further advancements.
SETA also organizes weekly protests outside of KFCs in Elgin and West Dundee, and arranged a sit down to show college President David Sam videos of the chain's practices.
"We'll definitely keep this up until (KFC) changes its standards," said Nicole Hughes, vice president of the group.
Recently, KFC Canada agreed to phase in PETA's demands.
Levy believes it's only a matter of time before the United States portion of the company follows suit.
KFC spokesman Rick Maynard Friday pointed to a company statement, which reads: "KFC is committed to the well-being and humane treatment of chickens ... While we don't own any poultry facilities, we require all of our suppliers to follow welfare guidelines developed by us with leading experts on our Animal Welfare Advisory Council."
Because no KFC restaurants currently exist on campus, ECC board Chair Phyllis Folarin said the ban "is not on our agenda right now to be discussed."
Levy maintains that a preemptive action is necessary.
"I'm really proud of my college," Levy said. "Of course I want the changes made for the chickens, but I want ECC to be one of the first, one of the most progressive."