It might only be the fourth week of the semester, but I have to admit: I’m already burnt out. The constant stream of deadlines has once again proven to be a bit overwhelming, and I’m stressed, to say the least.
Wake up, join Zoom calls, submit work on Moodle, sleep and repeat. Recently, while caught in this perpetual loop of assignments, papers and quizzes, I found myself thinking: I really miss my pets back at home.
Let’s face it, we could all use the extra serotonin right now. Living in an on-campus apartment means leaving any pets without gills behind, though, so — no offense to fish — my roommates and I have found ourselves severely lacking in the fuzzy animal department.
I really couldn’t tell you how many times we’ve longingly scrolled through pet adoption websites together, but trying to get a dog or cat approved to live in our apartment has started to feel like such a far-fetched idea. Any animal classified as a “pet” is strictly prohibited, and service or assistance animals require a lengthy paperwork and approval process to be allowed on campus.
I can understand having these restrictions in freshman dorms, where space is limited and residents don’t have all the bells and whistles of a true apartment, but I think Res Life should at least loosen some of the restrictions on having pets in more spacious on-campus apartments designed for upperclassmen.
Both the campus-wide pet ban and the confusing support animal registration process with Disability Services have proven very discouraging in my and my roommates’ dreams of adopting a cat or dog of our own. Regardless, our living situation (and I’m sure the same is true for many others on campus) would benefit greatly from caring for a pet.
Studies have shown that interacting with animals in general can provide a variety of health benefits for humans, including lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression — the kind of struggles I feel the majority of college students are far too familiar with. 
With a vast majority of classes being held online and work being conducted remotely, this also seems like the ideal time to have a companion animal — both because students have more time at home for connecting with and caring for a pet and because I know we could all afford some emotional support during these strange times.
If creating more flexible guidelines is out of the question, there are other ways to get animals more involved in the on-campus community. Hear me out: I think University Res Life could even partner with local pet adoption facilities and allow students to reap the benefits of interacting with animals while providing these animals with quality time and affection from humans. 
At the very least, the University should set forth a more streamlined system for approving support animals for students who qualify, whether that entails having more frequent room inspections or monitoring students’ grades to ensure they’re managing time wisely while tending to their animals. 
I know having a pet or even just interacting with more animals on campus would bring me a lot of joy and give me a rewarding hobby to balance out my rigorous and emotionally-draining academic schedule.
Emily Davison is a 19-year-old anthropology major from Denham Springs.