<p>Now, now. My son - a current WashU student - was once on this committee. (not this year though) Yes, it was a STUDENT-run committee. They enjoy coming up with ideas to de-stress around exam times and since bears is their mascot, coming up with a cuddly baby bear probably seemed like a natural extension of the idea. Note, no one ever did this because Rice did/does this. In fact, at the elementry school where I teach. Friday is our “dog day” and kid love to practice their reading skills to the dog. Was someone from Rice influencing them too? And sure, college kids should have “mastered their ability to de-stress”, but not all college kids resort to drinking as a coping skill; some like to cuddle soft little animals instead. Music festivals, pizza nights, or puppies are all fine, but heck, doesn’t mean the idea was bad. </p>
<p>PS: this does not seem like such a big deal that it deserves to be “pinned”. Shouldn’t that be reserved for a general discussion rather than a WashU bashing one?</p>
<p>limabeans, this isn’t a “bashing” thread - it’s the funniest college story of the week! As one member said, it’s hard to believe this wasn’t a story from The Onion. </p>
<p>Consider it a “stress reliever” for CC members! (And, no rabies shots required!)</p>
<p>This isn’t to bash WashU. I am sure there are many other institutions with similar programs to reduce stress during finals. I was wondering at what point it becomes too much coddling. How much stress they should deal with on their own? My thinking was that we would acknowledge their stress but stop there and let them deal with it? In addition, as students mature academically and learn for learning’s sake, exams should be less a stressful event.</p>
<p>What a nightmare for the bear cub. What if primates use their superior intelligence and leave the “lesser” animals alone? It’s bad enough we’re destroying their habitat - now we use their infant offspring for stress relief entertainment.</p>
<p>Maybe next year Wash-out-U can bring in a baby wolverine or an infant Komodo lizard for the “petting” zoo. </p>
<p>I’ve been reading The Wolverine Way from my daughters bookshelf. ( she will be doing wolverine research after graduation)
Did you know that a 30lb wolverine can scare off a grizzly bear from a kill?
Now that Boo Boo has been placed at a zoo, the petting zoo could have a tie in with the comic book movies.
Hugh Jackmans character is incredibly popular so a wolverine would be a big draw!</p>
<p>My first reaction was that if I was a student there, I would have wanted to cuddle with Boo Boo. However, why didn’t someone realize after the second or third bite that maybe Boo Boo needed to be excused from the petting zoo? </p>
<p>My freshman son told me that they have had petting zoos, inflatable bouncy castles, chair massages and “furry friends” to pet for finals stress relief. So far, he hasn’t pet anything, but he did get physical in some inflatable climbing thing. I do remember fun Spring activities at my school which I’m pretty sure were designed to relieve stress, even though it was almost 40 years ago, and didn’t sound so silly. As a former treasurer of his HS PSFA, the cost of these silly things is really not the reason for the high cost of college tuition.Except, of course, for the bear liablility.And maybe Band-Aids.</p>
<p>Amazing that those involved in putting together the activity didn’t consider how inhumane it is to use a wild animal in such a way. Maybe it’s a regional thing. I can’t imagine it happening in west coast cities.</p>
<p>Poor baby bear… He might need therapy for his PTSD caused by the horrid experience!</p>
<p>Didn’t they have enough cats at a local shelter to bring in for stress relief? Or… Here is a business idea for a stress-relief café near college campuses that has been successfully implemented in Asia and in the UK. Apparently, the business in London is booming, since Lady Dinah is not taking any reservations now since her café is booked until October!</p>