Over the past month, the addition of Clinton’s newest pet has caught the attention of many students. Those who take classes scheduled in Room 409 may, or may not have noticed a new tank in one of the back corners of the room. Inside the such unassuming tank, lives Meatball, the recently acquired class hamster.
On most days before, during, and after classes, a small crowd can be seen gathered around Meatball’s tank, as students try to get a glance at the oftentimes hiding hamster, which leaves many wondering about the hamster’s seclusive character.
Described by Ms. Carballo, the 11th Grade IB Biology teacher, as an emotional support pet, Meatball has attracted much gaze and curiosity due to her seemingly sudden appearance at the beginning of March. When asked about the decision to acquire Meatball as a pet, Ms. Carballo, and 11th Grader Skye Combuechen emphasized its spontaneity as one that was suggested in conversion one morning, researched upon, and carried out by buying the hamster at the local PetCo afterschool, and setting up its habitat immediately upon return to the school — all in one day.
Since then, Meatball has been one of the main topics of conversation in the biology room, apart from normal academic discussions during lessons. But when students aren’t talking academics, conversations quickly switch to the hamster. Talk about Meatball’s appearance has been serving as a welcomed reprieve from the frequent stresses of the classroom, especially at a time where Juniors are now heavily focused on the Internal Assessment (IA) for IB Biology, among a plethora of other class and general IB deadlines.
Even so, most times Meatball remains visibly nowhere to be found in her tank during class time, leaving only few that have truly seen her when she’s active outside of school hours. This is a concern shared by Combuechen, sharing that she feels “a little bad that most people haven’t seen her, ‘cause she’s only really active in the morning… I think when she hears all the people in the room, it kind of makes her a little nervous”.
Other than its popularity, there are other factors to consider when a class gains a new pet. Meatball’s care, and rules around her, for example, are also important in order to ensure she doesn’t stress out in such a crowded environment, and for her health and safety in general, especially since many people touching Meatball can run the risk of her getting sick. When reflecting on her thoughts, and initial hesitancy about Meatball’s popularity, Combuechen also states, “It’s a little nerve racking when it’s a lot of people [Juniors]… At first I was just kind of nervous, that people were going to ignore the rules, and just reach in there [the tank] anyways, but people are really good about it honestly.”
On a wall next to Meatball’s tank is a paper on the wall that lays out several rules for students that choose to admire her, including several standard rules: forbidding touching her, opening up the tank to grab her, and etc. So far, students have adhered to these rules, as well as respecting the hamster’s space during class. Additionally, for those desperate to catch a glance of Meatball when she isn’t out and about, a picture of her is also printed on that piece of paper.
Another aspect of Meatball that piques students’ interests, is the ability to sign up to volunteer to take home, and care for her via a QR code on that same paper. Students willing to volunteer have the option to care for Meatball during weekends. The linked form also includes the opportunity to apply to care for the hamster during summer vacation, although applicants cannot travel for its full duration. Such as 11th Grader Sarah Belkas, who when reflecting on her positive experience caring for Meatball during spring break stated, “She was really easy to care for, I 100% would encourage anyone to care for her as a way to help out our grade. She’s now kind of all of our hamsters, and we have a responsibility to take care of her if we want her in the classroom”.
Students that wish to get the chance to see her are invited to come into the biology room in the mornings before class, and possibly even feed Meatball her favorite snack, sunflower seeds. As Combuechen adds, “If you want to meet her, you should come before school, she’s so active, and she’s so adorable, and you can feed her sometimes too if you want!”
