Mike VI

Lindsey Clemones - LSU

V:50 I:4 Experiences

Meet Mike VI, LSU's live tiger mascot. Every two years two very lucky veterinary students are selected to be his caretakers!  I am lucky enough to be one of those students. My job entails all aspects of Mike's care. In the mornings I inspect his yard area to ensure it is safe for him to be let outside, then I clean out his night house area; this generally takes about an hour and half to complete. His caretakers are also responsible for his pool maintenance. In the evenings Mike likes for us to visit him outside for a game of hide and seek. Don't worry  there is always a barrier, i.e. a fence, between Mike and his caretakers. After playtime, Mike comes inside for his dinner of 25 pounds of a special zoo carnivore diet. As caretakers we are also involved in his monthly and yearly preventive care, which is very similar to that of a domestic house cat. He receives flea and heart worm prevention and vaccinations. Caring for the only live tiger mascot on a college campus is one of the most unique and spectacular experiences any vet student could ask for! I feel so blessed to have this opportunity and love sharing Mike and my experiences with others.

LuLu

Danielle Powers - LSU

V:50 I:4 Creative Corner

LuLu - acrylic paint on canvas

What an Experience!

Ariel Fowler, LSU

Experiences, Entry

In the first week of June, between the anatomy finals of first year and an exam in my first week of second year, I arrived in Post Falls, Idaho. There, Dr. Betsy Charles asked me and a roomful of other veterinary students, clinicians, and faculty members to “step off the treadmill” of endless studying and commitments. That was our welcome to the Veterinary Leadership Experience. In that week, I learned not just leadership skills but life skills—and had more fun than a name like “leadership experience” might suggest!

A major theme of the week was Challenge by Choice—the idea that each of us should try to stretch beyond our comfort zones, but with the understanding that those comfort zones are different for every person. From the very first evening of mingling and secret handshakes and creative teamwork, we embraced those challenges. At VLE, I met students from other veterinary schools, but I also befriended and learned a lot from clinicians and researchers and even the videographers who shot our highlights reel. We started every morning with a dance that made the whole day more positive, and finished the evenings with field games, bonfires, movie nights, or karaoke.

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Chicken Portrait Triptych

Mandy Walkenhorst, LSU

Creative Corner

"Dexter"

Kelsey Daroca, LSU

Creative Corner

"Dexter" - chalk pastel pencils