Wednesday, February 28, 2018
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The furry friends of Jackrabbits
RACHEL HARMON • The Collegian
Rachael Selberg, freshman art education major, holds her emotional support animal, Guss the rabbit. Selberg feels that her pet was well worth the wait. He reduces her stress and anxiety that comes along with living on campus. “After a stress filled day it is really fun to come home to have him to play around with,” she said.
Do pets actually help students reduce stress? EMMA STAVNES News Editor
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ost of us have probably seen students around campus walking their dogs or have heard the neighbor’s cat meowing in the middle of the night. In fact, some of you might be considering getting a pet of your own while living on campus. There are many benefits of having pets on campus, but if the decision isn’t thoroughly planned, it can lead to conflict. Sophomore art education major Tayha Ness said getting her puppy, Phoebe, to campus was a drawn-out, three-month process, and even though there
are advantages to having a pet, house-training was difficult. Having a dog also led to tensions with her roommate. Ness’ roommate accused Phoebe of destroying her laptop after the dog spilled hot chocolate on it. Ness paid her $400, narrowly avoiding going to court. She doesn’t regret getting the puppy, though. College is tough, she said, so it’s nice to be able to look forward to something at the end of a long day. “I loved knowing that I had something at home that strictly depended on me for love, comfort and survival. It kept me going,” Ness said. Ness wanted the dog to be smaller in size to accommo-
date the tight living spaces. She also needed the puppy to be easily potty-trained — which didn’t come quickly. Brookings Humane Society Shelter Coordinator Andrea Severtson said pets are a good thing to consider having on campus for many reasons. “They tend to be a great reminder of a ‘home’ atmosphere for the students and they are a great idea for students in a highstress environment,” she said. College is the first time many students are away from home and often times it can be overwhelming and difficult to find a balance in a new environment. Having an animal on campus brings a sense of normality, espe-
cially for students who had pets at home, according to Severtson. However, pets don’t just help their owners, Associate Director of Residential Life Christina Kaberline said. Often times, the effects of a pet can spread to more than just one student, allowing the entire floor to benefit from the presence of an animal. It isn’t all fun and games, though. Pets, especially puppies, are a huge time commitment, Kaberline said. So, students need to evaluate their class schedule and what they do in their personal time to see if a pet adequately fits into the picture. “We really want to make sure
that everyone involved, the student and the pet, has a high quality of life,” Kaberline said. There are a number of steps students must follow before a pet is allowed in their dorm room. These include getting the pet the correct vaccinations, registering with the city of Brookings, getting their pet neutered and complying with a 35-pound weight limit. Severtson said as long as the student can financially care for the animal and make sure it gets exercise, she would recommend a pet on campus. “Animals need interaction and love, so as long as they are properly cared for we love seeing pets on campus,” she said.
27th annual Wacipi to celebrate Native American culture, unity IAN LACK Reporter The 27th annual South Dakota State University Wacipi will unite Native American people from across the state and around the campus community for celebration and thanksgiving. Hosted by the American Indian Student Association, the event will be held March 24 in the Volstorff Ballroom of The Student Union. A Wacipi, or powwow, is a Native American celebration in which people gather to reconnect with friends and family. The event also offers a time to reflect on hardships and a time to give thanks and honor veterans and other notable figures in the community. The SDSU Wacipi will feature homemade tacos, songs set to drums and competitive dancers in traditional regalia.
For students like Alaina Hanks, a graduate assistant for the American Indian Student Center helping to host the event, “there’s a different feeling to this year’s powwow.” “This has been the only consistent event that we’ve actually had a say in that concerned us because students plan it and coordinate it,” Hanks said. “For a few years, it kind of got away from that. But now that students are taking it back — it feels better in a way, when someone from your community takes ownership of it.” April Eastman, director of the American Indian Student Center, said the event’s dance competition can trace its origins to the history of Native American life under the U.S. government. “Before 1978, which was the Indian Religious Freedom Act, Indian people couldn’t practice
their spirituality or their ceremonial ways, so that was a way for Indian people to gather and not be penalized by the government,” Eastman said. “Dancing wasn’t necessarily seen as something threatening.” In addition to serving as an opportunity to educate non-Native American people, Eastman said the event also serves a special purpose for Native American students. “For all of our people to come to our campus from our tribal communities and to celebrate our students being here and persisting and graduating and persevering through higher (education), that’s what I see our powwow being, that we’re still here,” Eastman said.
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FILE PHOTO
SDSU Wacipi features six categories of competitive dance competitions. Men and women compete dressed in traditional Native American regalia.