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I’m Shaking My Head…
I get mailed a couple of alumni magazines from NC State: one from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (Physics undergrad) and one from the College of Engineering (Nuclear Engineering grad). It’s interesting to see what’s going on at the school, and with other alumni (astronaut Christina Koch did that all-woman spacewalk a while back). I was enjoying reading until I got to the end, when I saw this:
Now, if students really need to play with puppies to relieve final exam stress, what’s gonna happen with stress in the real world?
Jumbo Jet Pilot: Looks like our engines have failed! We’re going to crash unless I do something — but what?
Co-Pilot: Sir! How can I help?
Pilot: Go down in the cargo hold and fetch me that puppy I saw the baggage handlers load earlier. I think it’ll help.
Co-Pilot: Roger that, Sir!
When I was in school, I relieved the stress of taking a final exam by studying for the next one. Heck, I studied so much during the semester, studying for the final was really a recap to keep my memory fresh. When the last final exam was completed, I got together with friends and grabbed some pizza and beer.
Oh, I tried to provide a link to the article but the online magazine didn’t have one. However, I downloaded the PDF and the article was still there. I took a screen pic, and that’s what you see.
Published in Education
I cannot bring myself to reading my alumni magazine when it arrives. Every article is about graduates “changing the world”. All I wanna know is what percentage of graduates get any jobs at all!
How do you think @bossmongo felt when he read basically the same article in the West Point alumni magazine, and it featured kittens instead of puppies?
So, puppy hugging is a stress reliever. The way a lot of colleges are going I was happy to see it isn’t a major.
How odd that they relieve stress with dogs, seeing as how they’re a buncha pu$#ies.
What? Aren’t the college students allowed to bring their blankies?
Imagine Jim Valvano bringing puppies to the locker room before the 1983 Nat’l Championship game. “Hey Lorenzo, here’s a cute one!” ‘Sidney, you like beagles, right?” “Somebody wipe that up before we go over the pick and roll.”
I guess that toga parties, beer, and pot are just not enough anymore.
My first quarter in law school, when it was time for finals, people were throwing up from the stress. I’ve always looked on tests as games, and I just want to play well. I’ve never stressed over exams, and usually did pretty well on them.
What do they have at Annapolis? Dolphins?
Puppies for Pussies. That would make a great slogan for the program
The thing about engineering is that you are contending with constraints like the laws of physics or thermodynamics. The “other side” is implacable and unchanging. It is up to you to be good enough to design or manage a device or a process that controls or works within the natural laws. The physical world does not care about how you feel about that; it is just there. The physical world does not care if you have petted a puppy.
And yet despite all the puppies, mental illness and suicide continue to rise among our youth. Or maybe because of the puppies-we give them emotional support animals but did not teach them “to endeavor to persevere”, nor to handle failure. We have not done well by them.
It just cares whether your building/bridge/etc. falls down and goes boom.
And what are pushies?
Young cats, Kent. Young cats. Also known as kittens.
When I was taking final exams, I had to walk to school, in the snow. It was a 5 mile walk, uphill. Both ways. There were packs of roving pit bulls, and I used to relieve my stress by beating them off with a stick.
Man, you really had it easy. Back in my day…
I think that’s submarines.
You are looking at this all wrong.
First and foremost: we all need ways to relieve stress. There’s nothing wrong with that. And a puppy? Hell, it’s downright un-American if you don’t love and enjoy cuddling a puppy. So, I see nothing wrong with a: wanting to relieve stress and b: using a puppy as that stress relief.
The real problem is this: a puppy is like a baby. They are cute and cuddly and fun as long as they belong to someone else. Because as anyone who has ever brought a puppy in to their homes knows, they are a level of stress all on their own. But once that is all done, you get through training the puppy, that dog provides you with companionship which itself is quite a stress reliever. What we are really teaching these kids is a hollow, superficial sort of happiness that doesn’t amount to much of anything.
Which is how I say, in a round about way, that I agree with you. Get your damn school work done, and then you can go play with the puppy, kid!
Are you serious? My neighbor just graduated from there ……I hope you are kidding…
So this program was started “before” the virus??? Yikes…..No wonder they need an ambassador and the puppies try to escape…..
Meow!
Puppy one: Grrrowf! Can’t wait til I grow up, I’m gonna ROCK this pack!
Puppy two: You and who’s army?!! I fought my way to the top of this litter!
Puppy one: Yeah, well look out, ’cause I’m feelin’ my Big Dog comin’ on . . . hey wait, what the . . ?
Puppy two: S***! It’s those masters again! Dammit, one got me! Now they squeeze and mush me while they weep – what’s their deal??
Puppy one: Oh fer cryin out loud – how long do they have to . . . Hey, watch it buddy! That’s my ears! Stopppppp! If I had teeth I’d . . . .
Student one: Oh look, he likes it! I feel so much better.
Those guys in the red shirts looked happier than butchers in a Wuhan wet market. Stress relief and dinner! Puppies are a two-fer!
We threw a “Swingin’ 50s” party at my house. All girls who showed up with a beehive hairdo drank for free. It was a pretty great party.
Beehive hairdos would have been quite avant garde for a 50s party.
It was 1996. What did we know?
At my school it was not unusual for students to attend class in their pajamas.
Forgive me if I don’t see the problem. De-stress with a dog in-between study sessions? Why not? It’s less harmful for your health than a lot of other stress relief mechanisms.
I thought it was about a Korean cooking class.