POULTNEY, Vt. -
"Why don't you go on your side then?" said a protestor.
"Because this is my home!" said a Green Mountain State student
"And this is my state!" said a protestor.
An outburst is what happened Friday afternoon after Green Mountain College students shouted their excitement to eat the schools mascots, oxen named Bill and Lou to a group of people who were protesting against that decision.
The eleven-year-old animals weren't anywhere nearby.
Both were quietly grazing.
School leaders say Lou suffered an injury to his left leg that makes it difficult to work.
The school says replacing him isn't an option because of the way the animal's work, ox form a bond with each other that can't be replaced.
So they have decided to kill both and use the meat to feed students.
A decision that's coming with mixed emotions.
"I've had large animals all my life and I just feel they deserve more than to be made into hamburger," said Linda Carrington Brown.
"I've been a vegetarian for 3 years so I don't always eat meat, sometimes I do, and I'll probably eat Bill and Lou because I think it's important to know that my meat was raised humanely," said Lisa Wilson.
Friday's protest isn't the only place school leaders are hearing from people.
"Personally I'm getting about 12 calls and 12 emails a day," said Green Mountain College spokesperson Kevin Coburn.
College leaders say there's been a mixed reaction to the decision of Bill and Lou and that was the case Friday as well, where on one half of the street you had people that are for it and the other half against it.
School leaders say even though their decision has caused a loud reaction, it was one they had to make.
"We've really reached a consensus that this is the right thing to do," said Coburn.
Bill and Lou will be killed sometime before the end of the month.
School leaders won't say which day that will be.
Students will know when it's on the menu.
