First day back

Heading into class this morning, I heard an equal number of people saying "Ugh, I miss break" as were saying "Oh, I missed school!!" I fell somewhere in between the two camps- happy to be back, but sad that I had to say goodbye to adequate sleep and relaxation. At least starting this semester doesn't have most of the anxiety that last semester came with- meeting 89 new people, figuring out how to commute, adjusting from Olaf life to Gopher life... Now it's just worries about taking more classes, and having a job on top of it.

This morning we had our first Physiology class, and we sort of had our first Clinical Skills class, except that our professor didn't show up. It's understandable, because the class doesn't actually start until March 20th, but I guess they scheduled an intro lecture that our prof forgot about. Ah well, those are boring anyway. Physiology is the new Anatomy- we have class five days a week most weeks. We have a series of professors... Our first prof bears a striking resemblance, both in appearance and mannerisms, to Howard Sprague of The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.. My evidence: Dr. O'Grady on the left, Howard Sprague on the far right





















I also trained in on my fishy job today. It should be a nice break from class, and will bring in a little extra pocket money. It'll be a little tiring being at school for an extra three hours three nights a week (especially for Win, poor bear), but I'll adjust.

After class, two friends (ironically named Chris and Lindsey) and I went to Como Zoo to check out the critters we'll be studying in zoo class. I'm excited, my exhibit is awesome! It's also brand new, which means there are a lot of kinks to be ironed out, so we'll have plenty to do over the next two semesters. We've all been assigned a topic to study within our species of interest... Here's mine: "Risks associated with a walk-through exhibit. Veterinarian obligations." Hmm, where have I read about risks associated with a walk-through aviary exhibit before.....? Oh right!

The Minnesota Zoo has a unique open aviary exhibit, in which visitors walk into the habitat itself. The AZA generally advises against allowing visitors to have direct contact with animals or habitats due to the potential of contracting diseases. Dr. Rasmussen stated that the aviary exhibit poses no greater threat for contracting zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals by humans) than do the wild birds in visitors' backyards. The risk may even be less than outdoors, as the birds' health is constantly monitored and sick birds are immediately removed from the exhibit and treated.

Pages 8-9 of "Disease Prevention and Control in Animal Facilities", written by me last Interim. I knew that made-up class- I mean, independant study- would come in handy someday! I was tickled when I saw my topic. Right up my alley! We're also invited to join our professor for zoo rounds this summer, once a week. Since we'll be living close to Como, I hope to go regularly.

One quick rant about campus police before I go to bed. They can somehow miss a guy breaking into my car and stealing my radio, and yet, when I park in the parking lot just long enough to take the campus bus over to the Minneapolis campus to pick up my new parking permit, they manage to notice my permitless car and give me a ticket. Am I *really* hurting campus that much by parking in an empty lot late in the day when most other classes haven't even started yet? Seriously. *harumph*