Meet the peta2 Staff: Adrianne

Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia

Fave artists/bands: Back to Normal, Witness the Wildfire, Momentary Prophets, Rilo Kiley, Good Old War, Santogold, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Clipse, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, M.I.A., Mates of State, Cold War Kids, Gregory and the Hawk, Pictures and Sound, Snoop Dogg, Beaujolais, The New Pornographers, Nickel Creek, Ingrid Michaelson, Hanson, The Jackson 5, Of Montreal, The Moldy Peaches, Gym Class Heroes, The Pack, The Earlies, Dabrye, Tegan and Sara, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bob Marley, Neutral Milk Hotel, No Doubt, Morningwood, TLC, MIKA, The B-52s, Islands, The Brunettes, Vivaldi, and of course, the elements Earth Wind and Fire!

About me: I want to save the world, and I want everyone to help. If you cannot help me save the world, then let's have a vegan potluck instead.

I like: Elephants, the beach, yoga, sweet potato fries, Montreal, Super Nintendo, The Sims 3 (hooray for vegetarian Sims!!!), cereal with blueberries, granola, watching movies on my computer, indie music, water, hiking, tattoos, playing guitar, raw food, making clothes, singing really loudly, painting, playing with Juju the bunny, almonds, dolphins, Apples to Apples, California, dancing to Cold Play, Tetris, art museums, road trips, kim bop w/avocado, and MTV's Daria

I hate: The prison system, rubberneckers, math, licorice, checkbooks, the circus, fog, grape-flavored candy, high fructose corn syrup and fully hydrogenated oils (both of which should be illegal), and Smithfield Foods

Why you went veg: Considering the abundance of vegetables available, I think it is pretty gluttonous to eat animals. Not to mention that factory farms are horrible places for both animals and the humans who work there, so until we consider how ALL animals—whether human or nonhuman—are treated in our society, we will never be able to move forward.

What is the best thing about working for peta2?

I get to travel around the country, bringing our Liberation Project to college campuses. Basically, this means that I get to work with some of the most awesome college students around by helping them spread the animal rights message! I come from a background as a vegan working on human rights issues, such as immigration issues, workers' rights, and poverty—all of which are directly connected to animal rights. Now working with the Liberation Project, I get to talk about these connections all the time and bring in the historical context of human rights. College students love to engage in philosophical conversations, so I make sure that their conversations center around the connection between human oppression and cruelty to animals. Sound like an interesting topic? Send me an e-mail, and maybe I will bring the display to your campus …

What was your favorite thing about college?

I am probably going to sound like a nerd when I say this, but one of my favorite things about college was my coursework. I majored in communication studies and minored in both philosophy and religious studies and leadership studies. Without such a liberal arts curriculum, I don't think I would have been able to satisfy my vast interest in so many different topics.

Don't get me wrong though—I had a social life as well that took up the rest of my time when I wasn't working on coursework. The friends I made at school are friends I hope to be in touch with for years to come. Performing at open-mic nights with my roommate, grilling veggie sausage kabobs at the "Monday barbecue," hiking in parks nearby, volunteering with my sorority sisters (Delta Sigma Theta—oo-oop!), and all the other random activities took up the rest of my college life. I can honestly say that there was never a dull moment for me in college, and if I could, I wouldn't change a thing.

How did you get into playing the mandolin?

I started out playing the violin in fifth grade, and when I went to nature camp in high school, this girl there had a mandolin. When I learned that the mandolin was basically the same as a violin, I definitely wanted to play one, so I asked for one for Christmas. I realized it's a little bit harder to play than the violin (I've been working on this song Ode to a Butterfly off and on for the past few years!), but I'm sticking with it. I will let you all know when my album drops.