Sammi Drizner sat on the floor of Hillel at UW-Milwaukee Tuesday evening as a tiny mutt named Dolly licked her face, danced in fits of doggie ecstasy, and soaked up love from the UWM junior.
It is finals week and Drizner was one of the dozens of UWM students who visited Hillel for a bite of food, some stress relief, and even a bit of puppy love.
We asked Drizner what percentage of stress had left her body when she got to pet Dolly.
“About 95 percent of it,” Drizner said with a sigh.
“I miss my dog so much this is a great thing to have here," she added.
The pups and food were complimented by camaraderie and even a massage therapist at the Tuesday night gathering. Director of the Milwaukee Hillel's student life Grace Fantle says she swiped the idea of the stress relief night during finals week from days as an undergrad at UW-Madison.
“They’ve been studying all week, all weekend, all evening. It’s just a nice two-hour period when they can leave the library, walk across the street, enjoy some good food, and relax a little bit,” Fantle said with a bright smile.
Molly Kiefer says she was all about the food.
“For most college students, the free food is great,” she said after a slice of pizza. “Some people just avoid eating during finals week because they’re too stressed out or don’t have the time to make food," Kiefer added.
When asked about the role the dogs played in the evening, Kiefer revealed a wide grin. “They are great,” she said. “Great therapy, yes!”
It seems that there really are certain truths in life, and the dogs are among those who are in the know.
