Brutus is Ferris State University’s big dawg on campus, but this year, the mascot will be joined by some actual little dogs — and cats, among other pets.
The Michigan-based university has rolled out a new program that will allow pets on one floor of Cramer Hall on the Big Rapids campus. The initiative is part of an effort by the school to appeal to students who don’t want to leave their furry partners behind. Cramer Hall is the tallest hall on campus and features suite-style rooms with a shared living space between the rooms.
Most colleges prohibit pets in dorms. Some allow aquariums, and a few — including Eckerd College in Florida, which holds an annual pet graduation — have been allowing students to bring furry and feathered friends as an enrollment privilege, especially as recruitment becomes increasingly competitive.
Ferris State, which started classes Monday, said pets help students who may be struggling with depression, anxiety and homesickness.
“Students may really miss that dog they’ve had since they were a little kid or that cat they got when they were 12 years old,” said Lisa Ortiz, Ferris State’s director of Housing and Residential Life. “Sometimes the answer is to bring a little bit of home with them.”
The announcement was accompanied by photos of Ferris State student Alando Steele, who is cradling his small puppy Emi, wearing a light grey Ferris State Bulldogs hoodie. However, Steele isn’t part of the program. He was only helping illustrate it.
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Brutus gets some friends
Ferris State is named after Woodbridge Ferris, who founded the school in 1884. Ferris later became governor and then a U.S. Senator. The school got its nickname, the Bulldogs, from a sports writer who said the school basketball team’s defense was “hanging on like a bulldog.”
Before that, the sports team was called the Ferrisites, which sounded too much like parasites. So, the story goes:…
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