Colgate University’s Hunting, Eating, Vegetarianism (ENST 324) guides students through the dilemmas we face in choosing to eat or avoid meat. Students are pushed to grapple with existential and ethical questions that shape the structures and systems around us, as Ian Helfant, a professor of Russian and Eurasian studies and environmental studies, challenges them to re-examine the human relationship to the animal world.
Hunting, Eating, Vegetarianism exposes students to diverse histories, cultures and practices. Helfant encourages students to approach the themes of hunting, eating and vegetarianism with a new lens. Senior Elle Laub described how the course urged her to rethink assumptions about what counts as ethical, and to approach hunting with more nuance.
“One of the most interesting parts of the course has been learning about women hunters and the way gender shapes how people understand hunting. I hadn’t really thought about how differently the same activity could be viewed depending on who is doing it, or how much literature there actually is on this. Connecting this to our unit on trophy hunting and the different types of hunters was eye-opening,” Laub said.
After experimenting with climbing and mountaineering, Helfant began bowhunting in 2004. He also became interested in local food and environmental issues, like the deer overpopulation in the area around Hamilton. After a lot of research and experience in the field, Helfant offered the course starting in 2014. These developments coincided with promoting sustainability at Colgate, where Helfant was instrumental in establishing the Sustainability Council in 2005. Helfant explained his personal connection to hunting.
“At this point, I’ve taken upwards of 50 deer, processing all but one myself, and it’s the primary source of meat for our family. I spend a lot of time in treestands just observing the deer and other wildlife. I do not enjoy killing an animal, but I believe it’s the most ethical way to eat meat if you choose to do so and have the luxury of enough time and a place to hunt,” Helfant said.
While ENST 324 is a unique course compared to macroeconomics or calculus, the content is relevant to everyday lives, tackling some of the most pressing issues of our time. Junior Sonia Erbe described what drew her to the course.
“I wanted to learn ways to get closer to the sources of our food. Former students really recommended the class and said they learned a lot about the food industry and the ways it needs to be improved in the future,” Erbe said.
Laub agreed.
“As an ENST-focused student, this is one of those classes everyone talks about. And I get why. It balances learning about how people thought about food and animals in the past with what we see and talk about today. Eating is something we do every day, so it is easy to forget how many opinions and assumptions surround it. This class gets us to slow down and actually think about those things in a way that feels interesting and relatable, not overwhelming. It just makes you look at something familiar in a new way,” Laub said.
ENST 324 draws on a variety of media, including documentary films, autobiographical accounts and literature. Helfant’s second book, “The Savage Gaze: Wolves in the Nineteenth-Century Russian Imagination,” published in 2018, intertwines his passions for Russia and the environment.
“ENST 324 connects with my wolves book in the sense that we humans are also predators, and in fact, in places like the northeast U.S., we’ve taken the place of wolves, mountain lions and other animals that helped to keep deer populations in check,” Helfant said.
More than anything, Helfant fosters a positive class environment. He creates an atmosphere where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and stories. Laub values the attention Helfant gives to students and the texts, highlighting how deeply he cares about them and the material.
“You can genuinely feel his excitement every time we begin a new reading or dive into a discussion,” Laub said. “Class is not just a lecture but a conversation, where we all share stories and discuss the readings. As we sit at the big round table in Benton [Hall], Professor Helfant asks thoughtful questions and creates space for everyone to speak. It’s clear that he wants each of us to feel included and to see our own experiences reflected in the course.”
Erbe expressed a similar sentiment about the course.
“While our discussions are based around the readings, a lot of what Helfant wants us to discuss is how we relate to the readings in our personal lives or how our perspectives are being changed by them,” Erbe said.
Helfant’s genuine enjoyment in getting to know his students stands out.
“Each semester, I am riveted by the backgrounds and attitudes that they bring to the table. Some are vegans, some are pescetarians and some are enthusiastic omnivores who can’t imagine going without meat. Sometimes they convert partway through the course, and not always in the same directions,” Helfant said.
Laub and Erbe described leaving each class with new insights and takeaways.
“The reading responses and close discussions aren’t just assignments, but they become jumping-off points for conversations that feel related to both the material and personal. They help us think about ideas like food, identity and ethics in ways that we don’t often get to talk about. It’s the kind of class where you leave thinking about things long after it’s over, and it helps to broaden your views from before,” Laub said.
“This class has certainly changed my perspective on hunting [and] hunters more than anything,” Erbe said. “It taught me that most hunters are very environmentally conscious people who simply want to be closer to the sources of their food. When you eat meat, you are killing an animal regardless of whether you hunt it yourself or not — most hunters just want to know the animals they’re eating have been treated ethically.”
ENST 324 is a testament to the values of a liberal arts education, bringing together the humanities, sciences and arts to encourage critical thinking. It changes the way students think about the world.
Helfant expresses what impact he hopes the class has on students.
“As for my students, eating is one of the most consequential ways we influence the world, both as individuals and collectively,” Helfant said. “It has enormous environmental, social and economic impacts, and it involves crucial ethical decisions. My amazing students have a whole range of attitudes towards food. We get to spend a whole semester trading perspectives and learning together about the implications of our food choices.”
