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Show Four-legged graduates to lead Vega through commencement By Joe Barti'iiliagen senior news reporter-.S7;w.7 When Cincli Vega graduates from Weber Stale University this spring, she will walk across the platform with the two individuals who helped to make it possible: Cameo and Galaxy, her two guide dogs. For more than five years. Cameo, a golden retriever, helped Vega make her way around campus. Then, one night. Vega discovered a tender spot on her dog's back. "It was on Halloween night, and 1 was grooming her. I touched a certain place on her back, and she just flinched and sat down," Vega said. "A few weeks later, I took her to the vet." The vet discovered that Cameo had an inflamed back and arthritic hips. Anti-inflammatories were prescribed, and Vega was unwilling to believe anything might change for her and her dog. "I kept saying, 'This can't be true. I don't need to retire my dog." I really wanted to graduate with her," she said. An incident in a Shopko parking lot made Vega think twice about that her normally reliable guide dpg got lost. When Vega decided to get on the bus to go home, her dog refused to get on with her. "She sat down, and it seemed like she was saying, T can't do it anymore.' Cameo always needed to be first on the bus. She usually leaped on the bus. . . 1 was horror-stricken," she said. A phone call from Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., convinced Vega that it might be time to retire her dog. With only little more than a quarter to go before graduation, she made the decision to retire Cameo and get a new guide dog. There were only two problems: she had to find a new home for Cameo, lARHirJI 1(800)682-3337 institute devotional Institute Chapel Tuesday, May 20, 1997 10:30 a.m. LTd QSkmm jrmw arsai Miona Vice President of Lambda Delta Sigma Wit&for Curriculum Planning and Development or the LDS Church MRYOHE WICOMEl , ; Vy.f 1 MUM'. , Cindy Vega and her new guide dog, Galaxy and she had to complete hef training with her new dog in just two weeks, rather than the customary four weeks. "It's really hard to place a guide dog, because they are with you all the time. People think they are just a pet, but that is not how it works. I had to find somebody who understood this," she said. - Vega did find somebody who understood that and immediately began working on what she described as being the difficult emotional transition necessary to help her dog bond with her new owner. Morry Anne Angell, from Guide Dogs for the Blind, in San Rafael, Calif., said that such a transition can be hard for all involved. "It's hard, but people and the animals adjust," Angell said. "It's just like trying on a new pair of shoes or driving a new car you just have to get used to the new feel." As spring break came, it was time ...because poachers are stealing from all of us! for Vega to begin her two weeks of training with her new dog at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., and it was time to say good-bye to Cameo. "I walked her to the airport, and it was really hard. I remember putting the harness on, and I thought, 'Oh, my gosh this is the last time I'm going to have to put this on you.' But she knew, too. . . I cried a little bit," Vega said. Vega trained with her new dog, a black lab named Galaxy, and then came back to WSU to begin her last quarter here. So far. there have been few problems. "Galaxy is a quick learner. She walked me into a sign once. I'm not sure if it was deliberate. She saw a couple of things that distracted her. I wanted her to go forward, but she went forward, right and left at the same time, bumping me into the sign in the process," she said. "Some things may not be deliberate, but you've got-to show them it was bothersome to you. You've got to be consistent with these dogs-they're going to see what your limits are." Angell said that, while there can be problems with new guide-dog transitions, most problems are the result of subtle changes in the personality of the new dog. "People are used to a certain dog. The new dog is going to have a new personality and a new pace," Angell said. "Rejection can happen at any stage, but it's not too common. There's a lot of thought that goes into the matching process." Vega and Galaxy are still getting to know each other. When the time comes to graduate, those two new friends will walk across the stage with an old one. "I'm going to make sure that they have tassels on," Vega said. ATTENTION GRADUATES, ALUMNI for a Great Gift Idea! Now you can display your diploma in your home or office by taking advantage of a special offer given by the Weber State University Alumni Association. Through the process of Photo Etching, a precise duplicate of your Diploma can be permanently preserved in a rich satin gold metal and mounted on an imitation cherrywood board that is ready for hanging. Associate Diplomas 8" x 10" Board $39.95 Bachelor & Master's" 9" x 12" Board $49.95 Please drop by the Lindquist AlumniCenterto view the. plaque and to pick up order forms for your Diploma Plaque. Or if you prefer to, call, . fax, or send an e-mail request, we'll mail an order form to you. . Weber State UniversityTLihdquist Alumni Center-. 1305 41st St.-801-626-7535 or SHIATflWEBER.EDU Theft From front WSPD Corporal Dane LeBlanc said. "It's an opportunity," WSPD Captain Roger Johnson said. "That's why it's called an opportunity crime." Spring generally brings an increase in the number of thefts even" though it appears the numbers are ' down some from last year, Johnson added. I Ie believes the increase in the spring is due to the good weather during which people are more lax and more active. "We've had six months of bad weather, and then it turns nice," Johnson said. Students need to keep an eye on their bags or keep their bags with them, Johnson said. However, it isn't always that simple since students are not allowed to take their books into the testing areas of the testing center or into the bookstore. Johnson said the building where bags are most commonly taken from is the Swensen Gym. This is ironic since students have access to locker rooms and coin-op lockers. "It's carelessness," Johnson said. Life jackets... they floaty you don't fi public service annoucement from: STATE OF UTAH NATURAL RESOURCES DMtlon ot Parks & Recreation "They could put their stuff in lockers, but to them it's an inconvenience."One thing people often don't think about is the security of having their life in a dayplanner. which is often stowed in their bag with other books. "It becomes a problem, because in addition to all of your books, the thieves get your credit cards and check books," Johnson said. "I don't put it all together; I don't even have all of my credit cards in one wallet." Students should mark their bags, books and other possessions with an identifying mark, Johnson said. Campus police have some engravers that can be used to mark nearly anything made of metal, even calculators, and students can go to their offices to have things engraved. "You should mark everything you've got." Johnson added. "Even a social security number is good." If a student does have a bag stolen, they should contact campus police immediately. The police then alert the bookstore about which books have been stolen. This enables the campus police to track down the person who sold the book back to the bookstore, Johnson said. A |