Students miss pet companionship - Sure, Stuart Little's entire family lives in AMRII, but it's just not the same as old Sparky

For many, college life means leaving behind all that they are familiar with. Gone are the friends you routinely spend time with, no longer will you see your parents every day. The city you live in may change and the accents will probably be different; you may even move to a different country and live amongst a new culture. With a decreased sense of stability in college, students often find that a pet is the perfect way to adjust to their new lives. A pet can be a source of comfort and may serve as a reminder of the Fluffy or Booboo you had back home.

However, the administration at Hopkins does not believe in the palliative power of pets, at least not the cute and cuddly ones. Pets are not allowed in Hopkins housing because of the diseases they may bring. Additionally, other students may be allergic to them, the pets can be dirty (just think of how much cats shed) or they may destroy Hopkins property (picture a cat gnawing on your dorm wall).

However, housing has no qualms about allowing freshmen to live amongst ferocious rats and malicious mice in the AMR's.

Nevertheless, there are some students who choose to make their dorm life cozier with the addition of pets. Two of my friends recently acquired several small goldfish. Between the two of them, they paid less than $3 total. They said, "The tank was more expensive than the fish!" The two admit that their fish were low maintenance. It was basically some food; no other care was needed.

Justin Belisario's dog Kimba was also low maintenance. He estimates that the dog cost him and his family about $50 per month, which included toys, food and treats, though he was quick to add that "money is not an issue when it comes to a friend." With AOL charging close to $30 per month these days, some people may instead opt for a pet that can become a loving member of the family.

Hopkins student Dayna Austin has a zoo of her own at home in Pelham, Massachusetts. She lists a cat, two cockatiels, two parrots (including a blue and gold macaw), a green iguana and a Cuban tree frog as her beloved pets. She says that it takes her and her family a total of eight hours per week to take care of her darlings. This includes feeding the pets, cleaning their cages and changing their water. The iguana needs a freshly-made salad every day and a periodic bath. She even has an entire room devoted to housing her animals back home.

She sums it up with the words of every pet lover out there: "It's a big commitment, but they're worth it." However, she goes on to warn that prospective iguana owners should not buy them based on what they see at the pet store. They can grow up to six feet long, and if people don't have enough room for the iguanas to run around, they could stop growing and die.

Freshman Rose Baker also has a plethora of animals at home, including a cat, two dogs, four horses and "Murphy", a mullacan cockatoo, a type of exotic bird. Baker admits that the bird is very high maintenance, as she requires both a bath and a special exercise regime every day.

Murphy needs a lot of attention, because, as Baker said, "We adopted her from a local veterinary clinic and the family that she came from probably had a lot of 'issues', because Murphy gets very upset if people are not happy around her." Murphy is nuts but can be very loving when she bonds with someone, like a true member of the family.

Baker, who aspires to be a veterinarian herself, works in the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Center, which is affiliated with Virginia Tech. At the center, there are two operating suites, 24-hour doctors and nurses, an intensive care unit and radiologists on call. She estimates that a simple surgery can cost an equine owner close to $3,000, easily. Baker, like other animal lovers, believes it's definitely worth it.

The Hopkins administration has a point when it prohibits students to have pets on campus. The death of a loved one can be very devastating for people; combine that with the turbulent times of college, and the situation has potential for disaster. Belisario's dog died this Intersession. He candidly admits that, "After it died, I definitely felt like a part of me was lost. It just wasn't the same around the house."

My friends faced a similar experience with their fish. All of their fish died within a week. Both aren't sure what the exact causes were, though both were disheartened by the loss.