Girl, 16, forced out of anatomy class

Baltimore Sun ^ | 9-25-2002 | Jonathan D. Rockoff

[Cagey]

A 16-year-old student at Kenwood High School who refused to dissect a cat was forced to abandon her honors anatomy and physiology class Monday, even though her mother offered to buy a computer alternative.

Jennifer Watson, an A student from Essex who cares for a pet cat named Fluffy, resisted dissection as inhumane.

The girl wanted to remain in the class, and her mother proposed buying software for performing simulated dissections on the computer, according to the girl and her mother, Maria Watson. But the teacher threatened to fail the college-bound student if she didn't participate in the dissections.

[homeschool mama]

You can pick up lab animals through Tobin's Lab or Carolina Biological for good prices. Both have websites.

We're doing perch, earthworm and crayfish this year. Last year was octopus, shellfish, cow eyes (fresh from a local slaughterhouse--lovely). I though about doing my mother in law but my counter isn't big enough. (gasp! did I just say that?!)

The resource center for the public school system here has many aids for students/parents available. There's a huge homeschool population so maybe they feel the pressure. :o) Among the aids are all kinds of former living creatures in formaldahyde. Neato stuff.

[gc4nra]

LOL! You're definitely on to something!

[RJayneJ]

Quote of the Day by Billy_bob_bob

[Cagey]

I pinged you to this thread because I knew you would be interested in this story. I'm not very fond of cats but I understand that many people are. And, I'm more against this because I think it is basically a waste of my tax money at the high school level. But, I wonder if more people would be on your side if dogs were being dissected in this school?

[Willie Green]

Since when do they do this in high school!!

I can remember classmates doing this 34 years ago in my high school. It was the advanced honors biology class.

Of course, back in the old days, we were also taught to punctuate questions with question marks, not exclamation points.

[DB]

They aren't forcing her to do anything.

If she wants a grade in the class she will have to do what the class requires. Otherwise she fails the class. Totally her choice.

[Texas_Jarhead]

we did worms, then frogs, then pigs, and finally cats. it was interesting.

[discostu]

I had pet frogs the year I dissected a frog (and in our school the frogs were pithed... that's a fancy word for brain dead but body still ticking on, part of the lab was seeing how long the heart kept beating. I understood the difference between my pets and the lab animal. Much as I understand the difference between pets and food, and (here's a dangerous one for a crappy typist like me) pets and pests. Just because some people keep pet rats doesn't mean you shouldn't kill the buggers that are in your walls.

Also note this is an honors class, completely voluntary to be in the class, more than likely on the path to medical school or some thing medicine related. If she's that squimish she should find a different career path.

[Amelia]

Since when do they do this in high school!!

They were doing it when I was in high school in the early 1970s.

[luckystarmom]

They've been doing it for over 20 years. That's the reason I didn't take biology in high school.

I settled for Chemistry and Physics. I'd much rather learn how to blow something up.

[Cagey]

I'd much rather learn how to blow something up.

Hahahaha. I hope you didn't blow up Cats!

[discostu]

They do in medschool. Everybody gets to learn to do autopsies. If you've never picked up a stomache and examined it closely under controlled lab conditions you're gonna be hard pressed to identify it in the emergency room (someplace all interns go and many stay) when you've got a patient that will die if you don't put his guts back together right. These early stages teach important things like how to use the equipment, and how not to be a wimp who freaks out at the sight of blood.

[agrace]

I am NO fan of PETA but I would NOT feel comfortable dissecting a cat, being a life-time cat lover. Just wouldn't happen. It's personal preference, not politics, and she is entitled to opt out.

[Pokey78]

Cats have ben used for a long time.

20+years ago, we had cats for dissection in our Advanced Biology class. I had a ball walking around school holding my dead cat by the scruff of his neck, using him like a puppet to talk to other teachers.

Of course that got me sent to the principal's office.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

As always, you assume that these people are cat haters and dissecting them means something cruel and horrible.......what about those students(since this is an honor, elective course) who will gain knowledge from this class and learn the wonders of the anatomy of a feline?

You always assume that everyone has some sinister motive against your beloved cats....... these animals are already dead - I'm sorry, but they are - and whether you want to admit it or not, kids do learn valuable information from dissecting these animals, JUST as they learn from dissecting humans when they get into medical school.......

You need to freaking grow up..........

[GovernmentShrinker]

Trouble is, with the alternatives currently available, there's no legitimate reason for high school kids to be doing dissections. They've still got a heck of a lot to learn before lack of real dissections will hinder their learning. And making this a routine class requirement is disturbing to many students, and may nudge the opposite type of kid along the road to abusing live animals.

I recall a friend of mine from a big Catholic high school telling about how boys in her class got a kick out of stuffing cat parts down girls' shirts, and other "pranks" which involved using the dead animal to upset other people -- sounds to me like a first step to bigger "pranks" in which live animals are used to get people more upset.

High school kids are immature, and these dissections probably interfere with learning more than enhance it. The time to start dissections of anything beyond a bug or planarium(sp?) is in advanced undergraduate biology classes, where the students are all serious aspiring scientists, and have a real need to do dissections to prepare them for their careers in research and medicine. Until then, they can certainly use videos, computer simulations, and plastic models.

[Thumper1960]

When did they start using cats?

When Demoncrats were found to be biohazards.

[Tokhtamish]

I'm confused.

If she is going to med school she will have to spend an enormous amount of time dissecting a human cadaver. And that bit about medical schools not requiring dissection ? Was he talking about animal or human cadavers ? Since when does a med school education bypass dissecting a human cadaver ? And what is wrong about dissecting a cat but right about dissecting a human being ?

[DB]

Guess what Sungirl, they do dissect dead people. Or perhaps you would prefer your next doctor to have only dissected a frog before working on you...

[Arkinsaw]

I am NO fan of PETA but I would NOT feel comfortable dissecting a cat, being a life-time cat lover. Just wouldn't happen. It's personal preference, not politics, and she is entitled to opt out.

From what I read in the article she is NOT entitled to opt out. If she were entitled to opt out then this would not be a problem. It appears from the article that it is a class requirement.

If you would feel bad about dissecting a cat I would suggest that you check any biology classes you might take to see if its a required element. If it is, don't expect your squeamishness to exempt you from the class requirements and give you a free pass.