O'Connell's Off Topic

Puppies walk college kids through the stress of finals

In China, stressed-out students hook up to IVs in the classroom while studying. In an interesting cultural contrast, college students in America relax during finals week by playing with puppies. Universities are increasingly shipping in cats and canines to help students unwind while cramming for exams, implementing everything from "pet therapy" clinics to pet-friendly dorms. At Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School, the tightly wound students can even "check out" therapy dogs from the library. (We're guessing at least one of those dogs is named Dewey). The science is simple: Interacting with pets decreases the stress hormone cortisol. Researcher Loise Francisco-Anderson makes an additional point: "You can release some of the emotions to a pet that you can't to a human. A pet keeps it confidential."