Page 43 - ThePhoenix1993-94

My First Piglet You wouldn't wear these. Dear Editor: Many of ttem would not They I wiU always remember the had to submit a statement to the small, dead, black and pink, course coocdinator explaining squint-eyed, piglet I purchased in their objection to the exercise, and a see-through plastic pouch for $9 theyhOOtoattendclassesandtake from a shelfat the backoftbecam- the exam like all the otber stu- pus bookstore. I remember tying dents. But they did not buy a pig, the four tiny cloven hooves to the they did not dissect. and they did edge of the dissection tray with welloothecxam. rubber bands, and tbeanimallying If you are to take a course in there prostrate. splay-legged, which animals will be harmed, tongue protruding. I remember you, too, need 001 hann animals. the first incision down the chest Asastudent, yooareentitled to an and belly, !be soft skin splitting education that is not adverse to open. your sincere beliefs, and there are My pig wasjustooeofhundreds many ways to learn anima1 struc- of thousands of animals killed that tureandfunctionthaldonotin- year for use in college dissections. volve the termination of an Canine. This year will be no different New animal's life. Today,!here is an shipments of cats frcm toe scenes abundance of computer pro- and the streets, dogfish frorn the gill """",""""""',models,self- nets, and fetal pigs fIOOl the slaugh- study modules, charts and manu- terhouse will arrive foc the general als to help you learn without biologyorthecomparaliveanatomy harming -any animals. Non- courses. Dissecting trays will be invasivefieldstudyisaootherex- puUedoutofcupboardsandslithery, cellent "a1temative"to many Ira- gray, lifeless bodies will be plunked ditional exercises. Moreover, a onto them. Sometime this spring or growing number of published re- fall, the smell of formaldehyde will ports are rcvea!ing that students penneate tI'IMlology halls as the an- learn anatomy, and other biology nualritualofdissectionisonceagain lessons, equallyorbetterusing al- temaaves than they do by dissect- carried out, In the physiology labs, too, life ing animals or harming them in will be taken from sentient creatures other ways. And as more and while students look on with mixed more students are saying "no" to emotions. Pithing probe ..rand circu- harming animals in !heir school- lar says will invade the bodies of ing,theavailal)ilityofaltcmatives frogsandturt1esso,lhattbeirstill-liv- and the number of disseCtion ing body fXlI1S can be watched and choice poJicics are rising steadily. manipulated. Once again. animals But it is only by speaking will be made lifeless. both literally oot..-politely but fum1y-that andsymOOlically~educatiooalre- you will make a difference. Why would you wear sourcesused,tbend.iscanb1 lalso Changeames not frma quiet ac- rememteraskingmyseIfifallofthis quiescencetochJbicuspra:tices;it isokay. Shouldananimaldiesotbat comesabout wilen those paceces I can see execuy how a pancreas are questioned and challenged. these? conrecs to asmaumtescre? Does As your college experience un- myeducanonjosntyttegassingofa folds, yeo can wander through it strayocabal'ldoo:dcat,Ihe"harvcsl- asonewooklanartgallery,oryou ing" of wild frogs, cr the canparticipateacLivelyinit Irec- They're cute, fluffy liule bundles oneo just for people to wear on their exsanguination (bleeding out) of a ooune:ru.the1atteroptioo.Invest of love-we take them into our homes backs. It doesn't make sense, does it? pegram mother pig? Will this ex- ~itwithyoorconscienceaswell and our hearts, and we make them For more intormailon, contact The ectseroser respecnceue enveon- as your mind. H you relieve it is pan of our families. Humane Society of the United Slates. ment in my geeeaton of policy- time fCKa change in how animals Or at least we do that for Ihe pop makers? Is is possible to affirm life fit into college education, do yoor pies in the top picture. The young while extinguishing it? I eventually pet to bring that change ebcot, JlIISJC§ ensweredro." Sincerely, faxes are from the same canine family, By thetlme I was a graduate stu- Jonathan Balcanbe, Ph.D. but they'll be caught in traps, or forced Simes dent teactting biology labs. I made AssistantDirectorfCKEducation 10 live in confinement and illen electro The IIwnane Society of the Unlled ()C 20037 2100 L Sireel, NW, washington. sure my students gave thought to with ~~and~~~- ~H~e~~m~ selves wbetber they would dissect. United Slates Haiti Has A Few Rays Of Hope nances until 1946. It is not SO Most Haitians are farmers. imports these foods as wcu as to geloulofthedrug trade. Jason goes to Haiti. Haiti has a strange that many a voodoo doll EJectricity needs to reach them much of its textiles and all of its Jason did not go 10 bell, be fewraysoflxlpc.ltsOOuxite(fCKalu- resembles a US Marine. I:x>th to pump clean water to retard fish. lIS total imports nearly went to Haiti~where the police minum) and sugar can be ex{Xlrted Illiteracyis77pen;ent More ty}XlUS and dysentery and also to double its total exports. The 25 "attacbes" (successors to the ascanitswoo:icarvingsaooembroi- rural schools need to be built At- suppJy~toretardcuttingtrces percent of fann families wOO Tontons Macoute) become real dered textiles. Its beautiful bays. tendance needS to be mai$tOrY forfuel. Massiverefocestationwill own no landcan work 011 textiles bogeymen after dark and cer- beaches, and mountains can attract through high school. High, be necessaI)' to prevent massive or develop a _fishing industry. tainly do not wail for Friday the tourists. And its Afro-American schools need to beconsolidated to desertification. Doctor.; will have Haiti's Afro-Americans also 13th. Salvation is possible for fiiends in the US st1pJX)l1it offer more s~. The instruc- to tackle TB, AIDS, and an infant have to be eased into a middle this country of real nightmares, The OAS and UN helpers rraxI tional language needs to be rncrtalityratemlO.6percent class now dominated by Iighter- but it cannot come from wllite to be dark-skinned speakeIsofCre- Frencho'laiti'sofflCiallan~e) Malnutrition hinders 75 per- skinned inunigrants. The Catho- North Americans carrying guns ole and French who do not a::me and not Creole, so tlr young can cent of school cllildren. Live- lic church can endorse artificial and speaking English. frrol the US. We ruled Haiti from IeamtoreadscientiflCarxilCChni- stock, flour, and other food need birth control instead of military Sincerely, 1916 to 1934 and concrolled its fi- cal materials. increased production. Haiti also juntas. And the military Ilas got James A. Hooge