Students who find themselves enamored with cute or unique animals should stop by David Clark Labs on Wednesday nights. They may just find themselves face to face with any number of animals such as exotic cats, birds or even bugs.
This experience comes courtesy of the Zoology Club, which aims to give students a chance to interact and learn about different animals and organizations from around the country.
Elizabeth Hyde, a senior in animal science and Zoology Club president, said that the Zoology Club works to bring in a wide variety of animals.
“We’ve had a fennec fox and a Geoffroy’s cat before,” Hyde said. “We’ve also had snakes, large constrictors, possums and turtles. We’ve even had a parrot that sang Old MacDonald.”
Hyde said that the numerous animals provide a chance for students to interact with animals in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. The handlers that bring the animals in also provide information on different areas of animal care, which can be beneficial for students in life science majors.
“We invite speakers from different animal-related backgrounds to talk about what their jobs entail,” Hyde said. “The goal is to give students an idea what the different possible career paths entail.”
The club has seen a large amount of different specialists, including exotic vets, wildlife educators and wildlife rehab specialists.
Sarah Klawiter , a sophomore in zoology, appreciates the different opportunities to meet professionals through the club.
“People from different specific career fields come in, and we get to see what types of careers we can use our degrees in.”
The club also gives students a chance to get involved with local service organizations and zoos.
“We work with Conservators Centers Incorporated to give these students a chance to have service projects that involve the animals,” Hyde said. “We also work with Noah’s Landing to give these students a chance to work with them.”
Morghan Hastings, a freshman in animal science, has been able to gain experience by working with Noah’s Landing.
“It’s cool because they were one of the first speakers I saw,” Hastings said. “It’s been great because I’ve gotten connections out of it.”
While the Zoology Club offers ways for those in animal-related majors to work towards their future careers, Hyde said that the club is open to students from any major. Many of the current club members come from engineering and CHASS majors to enjoy their fascination with animals.
“The club really is for any animal lover who wants to learn more about animals and the issues they’re facing,” Hyde said.
In this regard, Hyde feels there is still an opportunity for students from other majors to find inspiration in the guests the club has.
“There’s a chance that an engineer could come and see an issue with cage design or that an English student could discover a topic they want to write about,” Hyde said.
For some students, the club has a relaxed atmosphere that leads to a social and enjoyable time.
“I think it’s just like a family, mostly,” Hastings said. “You go in there and you have your friends and you have fun.”
