Code 2319: Housing Health Inspections

BY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong
Before you ask, my title is in reference to the film Monsters Inc., specifically, from a scene where a monster returns from the humans’ world but has been “contaminated” by a sock, so he’s promptly tackled by monsters in biohazard suits shouting about a “Code 2319.” I thought that the title and scene were at least remotely applicable when discussing the topic at hand, which is the new Health and Safety Inspections that are soon to be enacted by Residence Life.
I’ve heard friends and classmates express alarm and confusion over these inspections, so I thought I would write an informative article clarifying what they are and how they will affect students living on campus housing. You probably got a brightly colored sheet of paper telling you what a Health and Safety Inspection is and why it’s happening – but in case you lost it, or didn’t read it, I am here to remind you. Continue reading “Code 2319: Housing Health Inspections”

UASWhalesongOctober 22, 2015January 29, 2016Leave a comment

Campus Life

Fish are Friends

BY ANNELIESE MOLL
For the UAS Whalesong
At some point in time you’ve probably heard someone say that people with pets are healthier. Well, this idea has actually been tested. In a study, Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia, found that pet owners make roughly 15% fewer annual doctor’s visits than people who do not own pets. Luckily for us, aquariums count! A study was published by Environment and Behavior reported that when people are exposed to natural environments we exhibit a reduction in heart rate and many reported an increase in mood.
Aquariums have the ability to be an excellent addition to a home, be it a house or a dorm room. They can vary and size and nature, but when done correctly are fairly simple to maintain. When it comes to tank size, bigger is usually better and easier. The reason why I am saying that bigger is easier is because there is more water to dilute pollutants and thus the water chemistry is easier to maintain. However, here at UAS housing, we are only able to have 10 gallon tanks.
Many people simply go to the pet store and pick out a tank or bowl and a fish. While the fish may survive for a time, this definitely is not the best route to go down. A fish is a living organism that will be dependent on you for everything, it’s unethical for it to be kept in a tank or a bowl that is not properly set up and maintained. Continue reading “Fish are Friends”

UASWhalesongOctober 2, 2015January 29, 2016Leave a comment

Opinion

Attack on Thumbtacks

BY LEXI CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong
Many of you may be aware that there has been a recent change in housing rules and regulations, about which housing residents were summoned to a mandatory meeting a few weeks ago. The changes discussed were mostly little things – a reference to the new smoke-free status of campus and housing, a brief reminder not to drink in under-21 apartments, a plea for students to refrain from doing drugs and partaking of other illegal substances, and intimations that shouting profanities from the windows of your domicile would be frowned upon. But one of the new changes was met with immediate murmurs of dissent – the use of thumbtacks, for reasons at the time unknown (but which I will explain later in this article), is now forbidden. Continue reading “Attack on Thumbtacks”