Monday, Oct. 13, 2014 | Volume 210 | Number 35 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
Pawsitive vibes Therapy animals rescue struggling ISU students By Danielle.Ferguson @iowastatedaily.com
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herapy can come in many forms. For Maggie Patterson, sophomore in anthropology, therapy is a playful, tailwagging dog named Pippa. Pippa is not a pet. The 5-yearold lab-pointer mix is an emotional support animal — one of two types of medical assistance animals that helps reduce an owner’s anxiety. Patterson lives in Maricopa, a university-owned apartment. While pets are not allowed university housing, emotional support animals can live with students because they provide a medical service to the student. In order for a student to own an emotional support animal in a campus residence, they must have documentation to prove they have a disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the Fair Housing Act, allow people to keep emotional support animals in their homes as long as they have documentation of a disability and a need for the animal for therapeutic reasons as recommended by a qualified treating professional. Student Disability Resources uses the documentation to make sure the animal is a need for the student’s health. Patterson has had depression and anxiety for about seven years. She and her family always had dogs at home, but at college, Patterson didn’t have that constant support system. “It was getting kind of overwhelming,” Patterson said of her lack of animal and family interaction. “I wasn’t going to class as much as I should have. I wasn’t getting work done that I should have. I knew that if I had an animal here, I’d just be doing better and she’s already proven to help that.” Emotional support animals are different from service animals. Service animals provide a specifically trained service to a student who, for example, may be blind and needs a certified seeing-eye dog. Service animals are able to go anywhere on campus because the student needs that animal to go about his or her daily life.
Kelby Wingert/Iowa State Daily
Maggie Patterson rescued her 5-year-old lab-pointer mix, Pippa, so she could serve as an emotional support animal to help her with her anxiety and depression. Pippa lives with Patterson in her university-owned apartment. Under normal conditions, students cannot have animals in university housing. Because of the increasing number of students with disabilities who need these animals, Iowa State is planning on instating a policy. They hope to have the policy in place by the end of the 2014-15 academic year.
Emotional support animals can only live in the student’s residence and aren’t trained. The presence of the animal improves the student’s mental health and quality of life. “The individual who possesses the animal gets comfort and/or support from the animal’s assistance and/or having to care for the animal,” said Lisa Ludovico, assistant director for the Department of Residence.
“[The animal’s] very presence provides some sort of comfort or support for the individual.” Keith Robinder, assistant dean of students and director of student assistance, said students should know that wanting a pet is different than needing an emotional support animal. “It really should be a diagnostic recommendation,” Robinder said. “Anxiety, nationally, is one of the biggest mental health issues
that college students are facing. Rather than treating anxiety with medication, having an animal is a nonmedical intervention that can really provide a lot of support and therapy. It’s a diagnosis.” If Student Disability Resources deems the student eligible for a service animal, the student’s request goes to the Department of Residence, where Ludovico makes sure the student’s housing accommodation is met. The stu-
dent needs to give the Department of Residence a minimum of 30 days to make sure the student has documentation and determine the student’s housing eligibility. Patterson said the process went smoother than she thought it would. “It was a lot easier than I was expecting. I was expecting to have to jump through a lot of
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LGBTQA reception brings together alumni, current ISU students By Morgan.Kelly @iowastatedaily.com
Michael Rowley/Iowa State Daily
Limay Vong, sophmore in industrial design, swings at a marshmallow to raise money for United Way. The College of Design put on the fundraising event Friday outside of the design building. Marshmallow golf raised a total of $5,000 for United Way of Story County.
Marshmallow golf drives fundraising for United Way By Emily.Samuelson @iowastatedaily.com With a mighty swing of her golf club, Iowa State student Alessandra Cuevas-Collazo, sophomore in architecture, launched a fist-sized marshmallow across the east lawn of the Design Building. College of Design academic advisers Audrey Kennis and Allison Reich held Marshmallow Golf to help raise $5,000 in donations
for United Way of Story County. The United Way campaign was initially adopted three years ago by the College of Design, and their fundraising efforts have gradually grown year by year. Their goal for this year is almost $500 larger than last year. They encouraged students to participate, hoping to reach at least 50 participants. Kennis and Reich hold three events during the fall semester to fundraise. Their final fundraiser
for the year, a bake-sale, will be held Oct. 30. “[The United Way] really does a good job of reaching those in our community,” Kennis said. “It touches a lot of smaller organizations as well as the larger ones.” Story County United Way works to improve the quality of life in the community. All the money raised is donated directly to United Way, where it is then
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A steady murmur of chatter and laughter filled the front room of the Student Services Center as the LGBTQA alumni and leaders in the community enjoyed a spread of fruits, coffee cakes, and turnovers. The first ever LGBTQA Alumni Reception was held Oct. 12 in the Student Services Center. Brad Freihoefer, program coordinator of LGBT Student Services said he’s hoping an event like this will preface many like it to come. “We think it’s really important that the LGBT alumni know that there’s still a community here at Iowa State and that there’s a way to give back to the LGBT community,” said Adam Guenther, senior in animal science and president of the LGBT Ally Alliance. “Or current students so they can see people who have gone on, led lives and had jobs, whether they’re open or not.” Trent Preszler, who spoke at the LGBTQA Alumni Reception, graduated in 1998 from Iowa State with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. He is now the CEO of Bedell Cellars, a successful winery in Long Island, New York. Bedell
Cellars’ wine was the official wine of the President Obama’s inauguration. Preszler discussed the importance of the connection between alumni and students. “Connecting alumni with students helps them see what’s possible,” Preszler said. “They can have a role model who is out and still successful in the world, which I didn’t have when I was a student.” Thao Pham, class of 2013 with a degree in management of information systems, said in the last year she’s noticed an increase of students at LGBT events. “Not that they haven’t always been doing really well, it just seems like they’re progressing even more,” Pham said. “I’m really proud of Brad [Freihoefer] and the Alliance for all the work they’re doing.” Besides being involved in the LGBTAA, Pham was also a member of the Asian Pacific American Awareness Coalition, women of color network and spent a few years in the ISU hip hop dance club. She also said student and faculty organizations made her Iowa State adventure a positive one.
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