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Show www.dailyutahchronicle.com Zoos bad for animals, ought to be shut down Columnist T his past weekend marked a sad day in the history of the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo. as a zookeeper was killed by an elephant, according to The Guardian. John Bradford, an experienced zoo handler for 3o years, was killed while attempting to move a 41-year-old female elephant named Patience from one enclosure to another. Bradford was killed instantly. This attack raises questions that will continue to be asked long after his death has stopped being a news item — should we hold animals in captivity? What dangers are posed when we do? Historically, zoos can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Around 3500 B.C., sovereigns had wild animals captured and contained for their amusement and that of their subjects. These zoological collections were symbols of the rulers' wealth and urban cities later established the same institutions in an attempt to convey prosperity, providing entertainment in the forms of amusement park rides and ballroom dancing as well. These zoos were often a day's trip away from the city's inhabitants and transportation limits made them one of the few places to view creatures from faraway places. Today there are hundreds of zoos worldwide but the captivity of wild animals is a practice fraught with danger to both the public and the animals themselves. Most zoos don't allow animals enough space to act the same way they would in the wilderness. The enclosure within a zoo represents an environment at odds with the nature of wild animals — without the correct stimuli within captivity, animals suffer from changes in diet, sleep and behavior. Some primates have been victims of regurgitation and reingestion, a disturbing process of regurgitating their food and consuming the vomit, something never seen in the wild. Wild cats in captivity pace incessantly when under stress and birds mutilate themselves for the same reason. And a study by the Captive Animals' Protection Society shows that 90 percent of public aquariums studied contained animals that showed "stereotypic (neurotic) behaviors," such as spinning around an imaginary object and turning on one side and rubbing along the floor of the tank. These actions are clear results of distress and hopelessness. Furthermore, the animals become bored and yearn for freedom from imprisonment. When an opportunity is found to secure this freedom they will take it, regardless of who they may harm in the process. This is where danger lies. Many will remember Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy. He was attacked in 2003 by a tiger that he'd trained since it was a cub. In 2004, a 6,000-pound whale at Sea World attacked his trainer of io years by repeatedly diving on top of him and there have been countless attacks on humans by primates. Zoos represent a healthy interest in nature and a keen awareness of the world around us, but we should strive to appreciate it, not imprison it. With modern means of transportation we have the opportunity to frequent safaris and wildlife reserves, places that allow us to observe nature without interference. In this environment, animals are given ample space and the freedom to hunt and act in accordance with their instincts. Many believe zoos to be economically beneficial, but a performance audit shows that Utah's Hogle Zoo's market share dropped from 53 percent in 1990 to 39 percent in 2001, due in part to a growing interest in the welfare of the zoo's inhabitants. And while the overall maintenance of animals has improved, what has yet to improve is the well-being of the animals themselves. The natural world is teeming with wonders and all species become threatened when we attempt to contain that world in a cage or immortalize it behind a pane of glass. We have a conscience, unlike animals, but that distinction is meaningless if we don't make use of it. letters@chronicle.utah.edu 5 OPINION Monday October 21, 2013 Millenials unjustly represented LIZI ZACHARY Columnist After reaching the age of 8o, there are certain duties that need fulfilling. After all, someone needs to make sure the neighborhood kids get their share of raisins on Halloween. And without old people, who would inform the young people that their generation is more self-absorbed, lazy and lacking in morals than ever before? Oh, right — 4o-somethings, 50-somethings and Time. Even some of us lazy and self-absorbed millennials have taken it to heart. We grew up playing on those sports teams where everyone got a "Most Valuable Player" trophy, but now we're constantly told how much we suck. The teen pregnancy rate in the United States is lower than it has ever been since 1946. The violent crime rate among young adults ages 18-24 has been steadily falling since 1994, while high school graduation and college enrollment rates have been climbing for about 4o years. Overall college graduation rates are staying constant, but when taken into account that more people are attending college in the first place, there are more people completing college degrees every year. So what's the reason for all this millennial hate? Common criticisms: we have no work ethic, we're bad with money and we spend all our time Snapchatting selfies when we should be drafting a resume and checking our bank account balances. "Low work ethic" is thrown around because millennials have a tendency to go job-hopping and, to older employers, we don't seem interested in moving up the ladder. I'd argue that such behavior does not indicate low work ethic — rather, it's a sign that millennials are just trying to survive with what we have. We've all heard the horror stories of people who work hard through high school, get into college, work hard through college, graduate and move in LUIGI GHERSI/The Daily Utah Chronicle with their parents. Every college student is terrified of becoming one of those people, but the fate of recent college graduates doesn't give us a lot of hope. Despite the positive statistics I presented earlier, there is one looming negative — after-college employment rates have plummeted. College graduates find that they can't get the amazing job they were promised if they just made it through college with reasonably good grades. So they settle. Disillusioned, they pick up minimum-wage jobs they could have had straight after high school. They can't pay the bills, and they're uncertain that the jobs they have will last. They'll take a better offer if they can. They're still holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, they can have a job closer to the one they wanted originally. Some are quick to jump to conclusions that millennials are bad with money because we aren't buying houses, cars or any of the other required equipment to be a "real adult." But it's not necessarily because our generation is wasting money on electronics and luxury goods, or that anyone actually wants to live with their parents after college. In 2012, 284,000 college graduates were working minimum wage jobs. Combine this with student debt, and it seems that people who just graduated college are worse off than those who are still students. Millennials aren't bad with money. We aren't spending it on houses and cars we can't afford. That's a sign of being good with money. Millennials are in a bad situation, but we're trying to make the most of it. Who brought us the recession that started in 2008, or the recent housing bubble? Who were the majority of the voting population in the years of debt increase? Dare I ask — if millennials really are so entitled and lazy, who raised us? Baby boomers, you are not in a place to criticize. letters@chronicle.utah.edu U should start annual health contest Competition would help improve overall wellness of student life C O NIES Columnist T he rate of obesity in college students is on the rise. According to the American College Health Association, the percentage of college students who are overweight or obese rose from 31.3 percent to 32.5percent from 2008 to 2012. While that number doesn't seem extremely significant, the percentage is steadily rising each year. Being someone who has constantly struggled with maintaining a healthy weight, I know how important it is to eat healthy and exercise. That being said, I also know how difficult it is to find the motivation to do so, especially when it seems so far out of reach. For the U, starting a campus-wide fitness competition and healthy living initiative could be a great way to motivate all students to get healthier and develop healthy habits. Many students don't understand the implications of their eating and exercise habits. The idea is that college is a time for having fun, eating out and living off ramen noodles. The problem with this mindset is that the consequences of poor health choices follow students long past graduation. Students who decide to develop healthy habits will have a more fulfilling adulthood and will pass those healthy habits on to their families. Like I said earlier, it is not easy. Many students come into college with a tight budget, poor habits and little motivation to change. A campus-wide fitness competition would combat all of these roadblocks. The competition would happen yearly over a semester or two with various prizes going out to those who lower their weight and fat percentage. The competition would Healthy snack Affordable balanced meal exercise sr '13 SALLY YOO/The Daily Utah Chronicle also reward those who are underweight and striving to reach a healthy weight. While a competition is a great way to get people motivated, it is not necessarily the best way to instill long-term habits in students. To combat this problem, the competition would be part of a larger health initiative that would offer fitness courses, cooking classes and wellness workshops, including a workshop devoted to eating healthy while on a tight budget. Students who attend workshops would be entered into a drawing for other prizes. The competition along with the health initiative would be focused on building lifelong healthy habits for all students on campus. In an article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention titled "Obe- sity on Campus," Philip B. Sparling said, "We have a special opportunity to tackle the problem of obesity on our campuses. For many young people, college is the first major step toward independence and charting their own courses ... We can capitalize on this ripe-to-change period by encouraging students to improve eating and exercise habits and teaching them how to implement healthful changes." The U could help students implement healthy changes in their lives through a campus-wide fitness competition and healthy living initiative. These things would be a fun and effective way for students to get healthy while also building a foundation for a longer and happier life. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |