I do not agree with Piedmont's animal policy, and here's why: If residents can have snakes longer than I am tall, why can't I have a rabbit, hamster, or cat? I do understand why this policy is in place, but I think there are other alternatives than just a strict no.
Those wanting to have pets could have an additional contract to sign along with their housing contract. Some apartment buildings require an additional deposit if you would like to have a pet. This could work too. The desposit could be refundable when the student checks out of their dorm without pet related problems. There could be size limits on furry pets. Personally, I love dogs, but having a barking dog in my dorm would diminish that love fairly quickly. Have a "three strikes" policy concerning noise and cleanliness. All of these suggestions would require a little more work from RA's and pet owners, but they would offer more freedom.
Responsibility would be the key to making this work. Students who can not be responsible enough to take their animal out, clean up after them, or keep them well behaved should not be allowed to have them. Knowledge of who these students are could only come after a trial basis. However, people we're in college. If you have trouble handling yourself, do not bring an animal into the picture.
I think we should be able to have animals along with a clear animal code of conduct.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
No fur of feathers works for me
One of the big issues on Piedmont's campus is pets and the fact that we can't have any with feathers or fur. This includes animals like dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and others. Some people are ok with this and some aren't. I'm with the group that is ok with the fact that we can't have furry or feathered pets. Don't get me wrong, I love animals. However, I'm deathly allergic to cats. So I wouldn't want a roommate who has one. This would be a danger to me. I'm sure there is another student on this campus besides me who has an allergy to some other furry or feathered animal. Why would the college put our lives in danger just so someone could have a pet? Another issue with these pets is the messes they make. Especially dogs. Puppies aren't housebroken when they are born. It takes time. However, during that time, you have to clean up after them...ALOT. Urine and fecies can also stain floors and other parts of the dorm. Then you'd have to pay for the damages. If students don't want to pay for little holes in the walls from nails, I highly doubt they'll want to pay to stains. Now I realize that some people can be allergic to the pets that are allowed on campus. These include fish and reptiles. Some can also be dangerous, like big snakes. However, the risk and work is much bigger with furry or feathered animals. Other schools like UGA allow almost any kind of pet. But only is a student lives in an apartment. This way they have to pay for any damages caused by the pet. I think this way works. If you want a pet, you should be responsible for it. Still, some people have allergies to animals. So they have to intereact with people in their apartments at thier own risk.
Hairless In The Dorms
When studens walked down the halls of their dorms at Piedmont College they will never hear the bark of a dog or the purr of a cat. However they can expect to see over-grown lizards and large tanks full of fish. That is because Piedmont's current pet policy is "students may have pets with no furr or feathers." President Cleere says "allowing students to have pets such as dogs and cats would be a distraction." Can a distraction not be a good thing sometimes? Maybe having a dog or cat could be a good distraction from all the stress and pressure of college. It is always said that a dog or cat is a human's best friend. President Cleere says his biggest worry is "students will slack on cleaning up after their pets causing a huge mess and unneccessary work for housekeeping." Residence Life Coordinator Mark Maynard adds "students with pets such as dogs and cats is a big responsibility, a big responsibility that Piedmont feels students may not be able to handle with the heavy load of college courses." It is very true that pets are a huge responsibility but is learning responsibility not part of growing up and a significant part of college. In conclusion allowing students to have pets with furr and feathers would be a great addition. However in reality President Cleere says "the school's biggiest concern are those students with allergies." So as unfortunate as it is Piedmont may never see the day where the barks of dogs and purrs of cats echo the halls of dorms.
Fur No Fur it's alright with me
Some Students living on campus at piedmont have a hard time bringing their pets to school and some students have no worriers at all bringing their pets to school with them. According to The animal policy at piedmont is that the students cannot have any animals in their room that has fur. Most of the animals that the students have on campus are reptiles or fish. The rule may sound a little unfair for the student who small pets that contains fur such as hamsters, but for a couple of big university’s the rules are much different. According to the student handbooks of Cleveland State University and the University of Cincinnati animal policy says that the only animals they are allowed to have are fish. Having animals in dorms I feel should definitely be limited if you have a roommate because someone might be allergic to animals, but for those who do not have roommates should be able to have what they want. According to sixwise.com , found that 54.3 percent of Americans between the ages of 6 and 59 tested positive to one or more allergens. A positive test also means that the person has a greater risk of asthma, hay fever and eczema. The allergies that are connected to animals are not as common as others, but fury animals may trigger one of these allergies according to revolutionhealth.com animals with fur can be very irritating to someone with this kind of infection. I do feel that someone that has to pay to go to school and live in a dorm should at least be able to have a small pet if they live by themselves. Why should those students have to suffer because they want to bring a small pet, but they have to deal with their roommate’s ten foot python? Students at Piedmont are here for a degree so maybe the animal policy should just say no animals of any kind should be allowed in the place of rest. If a student really likes animals the door is open for them to have them, but maybe not the kind that they want. I feel the students should enjoy the privilege of being able to have any type of pet while their in college. For the students that have allergies should request to be moved to another room maybe with a friend, or someone that also has allergies. The rule is alright with me.
No Fur, No Feathers
According to Piedmont’s policy on pets in the dorms, students living on campus are not allowed to any pet that has fur or feathers. “I hate it. We should be allowed to have dogs and cats. We should be at least able to have bird.” says sophomore and Music major Jeff Hall. However I disagree, even though it was hard not taking my own cat, Chickadee, with me. I believe the Pet Policy has students in mind at its heart.
The policy is right for banning things with fur or feathers. Jana Myers, a freshman and Music Performance major, brings up a good point when she stated that roommates may be allergic to pets with fur. Yes, even though it is hard to leave your furry or feathered friend at home, you must think of who you will be sharing a room with.
Students at Piedmont have more freedom than some colleges’ policies with pets. For instance, at my dorms at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, we were only allowed to have fish in one gallon or less tanks. However, if a student living on campus need a service animal, that animal could live with them. The University of Georgia also follows the fish only rule, and the tank must be under 20 gallons. With Piedmont, at least you can have the choose of reptiles and amphibians also, but they generally stay in cages.
Another thing is that pets without feathers or fur are generally kept in the cage at all time. This makes them better, as all their activity stays in the cage. You don’t have to worry about taking them out as with dogs, or making sure they make the litter box as with cats. Plus, although the cage is not always fool-proof, for the most part, the pet inside cannot take off and be lost in the dorm or even outside.
The policy is right for banning things with fur or feathers. Jana Myers, a freshman and Music Performance major, brings up a good point when she stated that roommates may be allergic to pets with fur. Yes, even though it is hard to leave your furry or feathered friend at home, you must think of who you will be sharing a room with.
Students at Piedmont have more freedom than some colleges’ policies with pets. For instance, at my dorms at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, we were only allowed to have fish in one gallon or less tanks. However, if a student living on campus need a service animal, that animal could live with them. The University of Georgia also follows the fish only rule, and the tank must be under 20 gallons. With Piedmont, at least you can have the choose of reptiles and amphibians also, but they generally stay in cages.
Another thing is that pets without feathers or fur are generally kept in the cage at all time. This makes them better, as all their activity stays in the cage. You don’t have to worry about taking them out as with dogs, or making sure they make the litter box as with cats. Plus, although the cage is not always fool-proof, for the most part, the pet inside cannot take off and be lost in the dorm or even outside.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Purrfect Pet Policy
Fish, snakes, and turtles are some of the most popular pets of students across our campus. That doesn’t sound like the typical list of top pets but that’s almost all that is allowed. According to Resident Director B.J. Hampton, “no hair and no fur” is the pet policy at Piedmont College. This may sound strict, but according to the LaGrange College website, fish are the only option as pets in their dorms. I feel that Piedmont College has it right with this rule by allowing students limited options that will not negatively affect the rest of the dorm.
Allergies are a part of life for many people. According to ens-newswire.com, over 50% of the U.S. population has some type of allergy. This means that one of the people sharing a wall with you is allergic to something. Allergies related to pets are less common, affecting 10% of the population according to allergyescape.com, but are no less meaningful. Why should a student paying over $20,000 per year to go the school at Piedmont be forced to live with watery eyes and constant sneezing just because their roommate likes cats?
While puppies and kittens can be cute and cuddly, they can also be messy and loud. We are at college to further our education. It might get a little difficult to study Calculus while an eight-week-old Shi Tzu is yelping next door. The odor of a pet in a confined space can get out of control as well. Just imagine walking by an open door to a room that is housing a full grown cat with a litter box. Ah! Nothing like that fresh North Georgia Air!
Piedmont has been criticized for past decision, but this one is right on. They are allowing students to express themselves as long as it doesn’t affect the rest of the student population. Enjoy it!
Allergies are a part of life for many people. According to ens-newswire.com, over 50% of the U.S. population has some type of allergy. This means that one of the people sharing a wall with you is allergic to something. Allergies related to pets are less common, affecting 10% of the population according to allergyescape.com, but are no less meaningful. Why should a student paying over $20,000 per year to go the school at Piedmont be forced to live with watery eyes and constant sneezing just because their roommate likes cats?
While puppies and kittens can be cute and cuddly, they can also be messy and loud. We are at college to further our education. It might get a little difficult to study Calculus while an eight-week-old Shi Tzu is yelping next door. The odor of a pet in a confined space can get out of control as well. Just imagine walking by an open door to a room that is housing a full grown cat with a litter box. Ah! Nothing like that fresh North Georgia Air!
Piedmont has been criticized for past decision, but this one is right on. They are allowing students to express themselves as long as it doesn’t affect the rest of the student population. Enjoy it!
Assignment Due Wednesday, October 29
Find out what Piedmont's policy is on pets living in the dorms. Do you agree or disagree? As part of your blog, consider how the policy compares to other schools.
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