Carolina Productions, a student led entertainment organization, held a petting zoo on campus on Sept. 24, so that the students could take a break from their workload this semester.
“You know who doesn’t like pets on campus? I would bring my cat to campus,” USC student Zaria Brown said, as she was enjoying the variety of animals at the petting zoo. She’s a pet lover and advocate, and loved interacting and holding the pets at the zoo on Davis Field.
Brown believes that animals give a calming vibe for people and that after test taking seeing the pets will calm them. Also, she believes that it’s fun and interactive for the students on campus.
According to Student Health Services at USC, more than one in four students said stress had negatively affected their academic performance in the last year. Also, the 2017 American College Health Association says that students are prone to say stress negatively affects their grades more than drinking, loss of sleep, and homesickness.
Nationally, the Gallup Poll says eight out of 10 Americans report they frequently or sometimes experience stress in their daily lives. This is compared to the 21 percent who say they rarely or never do experience stress in their daily lives.
Laura Wellons, Carolina Productions’ Lead Coordinator, believes that the petting zoo came at the right time for students, where the workload has been built up due to Hurricane Florence a few weeks ago.
“I know one girl came up to me, and she said I just had an exam that I didn’t feel great about. So, this was just like the perfect timing it’s just what I needed,” Wellons said.
Wellons said that Carolina Productions will hold petting zoos in the future because it’s a successful event that students enjoy and make them happy.
For more information on how to deal with stress during the semester, visit Student Health Services website.
USC student Eddie Campbell spent some time with a goat at the petting zoo.
USC students enjoy the petting zoo at Davis Field near Thomas Cooper Library.
