By Dave Murray
The Grand Rapids Press
One of my recent journalism students deeply missed her family's cat after moving to campus in the fall. Attempts at keeping fish in her dorm room proved fatal, but Amy's brother surprised her at Christmas with a furry friend who would comply with the regulations.“Tibbins,” a squirrel who had an encounter with a taxidermist, because our class mascot of sorts. But some college leaders are now thinking that having some non-stuffed animals around might ease the sometimes difficult transition for college students.
Ryan Lytle wrote in U.S. News & World Report that students who are beginning college with no established friendship, the prospect of meeting new people can be nerve wracking.
“Students can bond over their pets, and I think that can be a way to meet some additional people on campus,” John Sullivan, dean of admission and financial aid at Eckerd College in Florida told Lytle. “It adds friendliness to a campus.”
Eckerd students are permitted to have cats and dogs under 40 pounds, as well as fish and snakes. The college even has a photo gallery of dorm pets on its website.
FULL ARTICLE.
While I have no objection to pets on campus, I do have to wonder: what the hell is wrong with this generation that leaving home is so hard?
ReplyDeleteFroad, they are growing up more slowly. Compare it to leaving home at 14.
ReplyDeleteI know someone who managed to convince his professors that he needed his small toy dog in his classes in order to fight anxiety attacks. I have no idea how he pulled this without a doctor's order. I like dogs, sure, but I would never allow one in my class without an official note.
But this guy, he did this, and his dog became the mascot of every class. To hear him tell it, classmates and professors brought treats for Mindy and Mindy opened doors for this guy because everyone remembered him.
As someone with actual accommodation needs, it pisses me off when someone pleads "disabled!" but what they mean is "entitled!"
If they hit puberty at 10 and have sex at 12, they should be ready to leave home at 14 anyway.
ReplyDeleteMy now-sixteen-year-old niece has been living away from home for the school year since the age of 13. She attends a boarding high school with regulations a bit stricter than those at most modern-day colleges, but that probably leave students with more freedom in many areas than college students in the 1950s (they can wander around a very large campus with considerable freedom, and visit each other's dorm rooms; they can't, however, drink). She was in touch with her parents pretty frequently during her first few months away, but they'd probably like to hear from her a bit more frequently at this point. While I hardly think the boarding-school experience is necessary or desirable for every 13/14-year-old, it shouldn't be a major trauma if family circumstances make it the best choice (and if the family is functional, which this one is), and young people definitely need to be ready to leave home and support themselves, if need be, or to contribute substantially to the welfare of their household in some way (domestic labor, outside employment, etc.) by 18. If a substantial number of 18-year-olds are finding it this difficult to function on their own, we're failing them.
ReplyDeleteOne of my students this past semester brought a dog to class as a therapeutic accommodation for social anxiety disorder. She did have a doctor's note, and she did do reasonably well in the class. The dog didn't cause any disruptions. I did, however, hear several of her fellow students ask her why she brought a dog to class, and she would explain that he was an accommodation for her social anxiety disorder. This led me to wonder: wouldn't drawing attention to herself (by taking a dog everywhere) exacerbate the social anxiety problem that it was meant to help alleviate?
ReplyDeleteI love animals and couldn't adore my pets more than I already do. Animals bring out all that is good in me, and I'm sure they do the same for many others. As a grad student who suffered from depression, sometimes my puppy was the only reason I got out of bed in the morning. But I was an *adult* when I got the puppy -- I had graduated from college, worked full time, paid bills, and survived cooking for myself.
ReplyDeleteI see students with pets around campus regularly, and I always have the same concern: if these students can't be bothered to read a 6-page assignment or attend class, how are these poor pets being cared for? I see students who barely take care of themselves (e.g. wearing jammies in class). What makes anyone think they can take care of a pet?