Taking care of ourselves in college is already hard enough, but for three campus roommates, that wasn’t enough. Freshman civil and environmental science and technology major Nina Conkright, freshman bioengineering major Jennifer Biaksangi, & freshman broadcast journalism major Audrey Widodo decided to turn their triple into a quad when they bought their new pet fish “The Real Swim Shady.”
There’s barely enough space for anything when you live in a triple, let alone an animal. So we sat down and asked them about their decision to house a pet in college.
What are your responsibilities?
“We have to remember to feed him twice a day and clean his tank every week. That means scheduling the best times for each roommate to do their part and reminding each other of our roles.” – Nina
How has having a pet brought you closer?
“Since we all have different majors, it’s difficult for us to bond over our classes, and by having a pet, we have something we share. Since we also share an Instagram account for him @ogswimshady, it does make us feel like a family.” – Jennifer
Has anyone stopped by to pay Swim Shady a visit?
“We actually do have many people on our floor come by and stop to chat with us about our fish because it’s a conversation starter. It also makes it easier to invite people over. We usually say that we have a cute pet fish and people ask to see it. As freshmen, it’s a great way for us to meet new people and have a non-awkward conversation starter by introducing our fish.” – Audrey
Do you think having a pet is a hassle, especially as freshmen?
“Not at all! Everyone who loves pets should get them regardless!” – Jennifer
Photo by Audrey Widodo
What’s the best thing about having a fish?
“At the end of a long, hard day of classes, it’s nice to come home to our fish, relax and watch him swim.” – Nina
“Swim Shady has a calming aura that exudes off of him.” – Audrey
“You’re never alone.” – Jennifer