Students weren’t the only species dining in the Baltimore Room of Stamp Student Union yesterday afternoon — snakes, a tarantula and an alligator joined them.
The reptiles came from the traveling program Snakes Alive!, which was booked by Student Entertainment Events to interest students during lunchtime. The organization opted to bring the show to the student union for its second year due to an apparent growing interest in animal events among undergraduates, according to Cassandra Fritz, SEE’s special events director.
SEE officials said students surveyed earlier this year responded strongly in favor of events that featured animals.
“I thought this event was a great way to change things up a little bit and give students a unique experience,” Fritz said.
Although the event involved live animals, SEE members said they didn’t have any problem getting administrators’ approval to hold the event in the student union. The event, which ran from noon until 2:30 p.m., attracted about 300 students, Fritz said.
Tom Kessenich, a herpetologist who started the program nine years ago after working on the reptile portion of a rain-forest show, ran the event, which gave students the opportunity to hold animals such as a tarantula, an alligator and a boa constrictor.
Freshman letters and sciences major Erin O’Reilly, who attended yesterday’s event, said she’s not typically a fan of snakes but she enjoyed herself nonetheless.
“I think [SEE] should bring this one back,” she said. “It isn’t a typical event.”
Junior English major Rebecca Wineke, who was also at the reptile exposition, said she attended last year’s showing too because she is very fond of snakes and other reptiles.
Wineke said although she made a point of showing up, she thought the event could have been better advertised.
Kessenich, who oversaw students’ interactions with the animals and answered questions, said he’s no stranger to school environments. He also brings the show to preschools, day-care centers, elementary schools, biology classes, corporate events and senior citizen homes, he said.
Kessenich said he had known he wanted to pursue a career with animals and reptiles since he was 7 years old. He attended college to obtain a degree in biology but was more attracted to fieldwork, which led him to his current position. Through the Snakes Alive! tour, Kessenich said he hopes to promote understanding about animals that are often portrayed as scary or unapproachable.
“The whole point of the show is to get people over their fear and misconception of animals,” he said. “It’s a chance for people to really step up to experience something they don’t have to fear. [Reptiles] are incredible creatures.”
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