Pending Extinction

Today’s passion blog post is going to be a continuation of this week’s Civic Issues blog (Do You Want to Pet My Tiger?) concerning the exotic animal trade.

This week, I learned just how extensive and underappreciated the exotic animal trade on the black market really is. There is so much to say and so much more to learn about what really goes on in in this kind of trade. Although I talked about a lot in my post for my civic issues blog, I have a lot left to say, and I want to share some more personal feelings.

Photo courtesy of One Green Planet.

Before doing my research, I already knew that the exotic animal trade existed and was hurting wildlife around the world. But I didn’t really know the details. The topic made me sad, but now it makes me angry as well. Clench-my-fists-and-wish-I-went-into-conservation-and-law-enforcement kind of angry. This trade involves so much greed, cruelty, and assumptions on the part of humans. It makes me sick that it’s worth somewhere around $20 billion.

And the worst part is, in my opinion, the lack of people who really care, especially in government. The consequences of illegal wildlife trade is extinction. It’s irreversible. It’s forever. Once a species is gone from this Earth, there is no way (save a time machine, maybe) to get them back. So why does the Drug Enforcement Agency have about 11,000 employees, while the Fish and Wildlife Services has about a third of their man-power?

Tiger cubs confiscated from smugglers.
Photo Courtesty of BBC News Asia.

The opportunity to make a lot of money with little personal consequences is probably the biggest lure people have to start smuggling wildlife. While someone caught smuggling drugs is faced with certain jail time and is considered a felon, someone caught smuggling animals equal in monetary value is let off with barely a slap on the wrist. Sure, the animals are confiscated, but the smuggler is set free with a fine and maybe a night in jail. Repeat offenders aren’t any more likely to be severely punished, either.

Therefore, they have no reason to stop. Why stop, when you’re making big bucks and can practically laugh in the face of law enforcement, knowing they can’t really do anything to keep you from continuing to profit?

But who really buys these animals, and why? The people who buy these animals (online, from breeders, at auctions) can be seen as collectors of a sort. And of course, the more valuable the piece – in this case, the rarer and thus more endangered – the better! Endangered animals fetch prices of up to tens of thousands of dollars, dead or alive. But people also want certain animals for food, or for “medicinal” purposes.

A man tried to smuggle snakes on a plane.
Photo courtesy of ABC News

Methods of smuggling the animals, whether it be tigers, turtles, or butterflies, to wherever they are wanted is horrible. They will be tied up, cramped into whatever space necessary, stuffed in pants or suitcases, strapped to legs, and more. Smugglers will do whatever it takes, and animals dying along the way is no reason to stop. The animals who are confiscated from traffickers, however, do not usually have a happy fate. Some are “lucky” to be placed in sanctuaries where they find companionship and at least a semblance of the lives they were yanked from, but they usually cannot return to the wild. So what is the difference between killing an animal and taking it out of the wild? It does nothing to conserve species living the way they were meant to, before human want got the best of them.  

Photo courtesy of One Green Planet.

So I’m pretty angry. Why? Because I realized the improbability of this stopping. Human want is a constant throughout all of time, and it seems like too many people want an animal that is in danger of becoming extinct. I don’t really care what the reason is, it’s wrong. Wildlife should be protected, not by individuals who think buying an animal is a way to save them from the dangers of their natural habitat, but by people as a whole. More effort should go into uncovering all of the mysteries that drive the exotic animal trade and make it so successful. We, as humanity, need to work on putting a stop to it because our desires are destroying the diversity of our world slowly but surely.

My eyes have been opened. Have yours?

Be My Valentine?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and this Sunday I'll yet again be (cue music) alll byyy myyysseeelllfff. But unfortunately, my relationship status -  and probable future as a cat lady - is not what this blog post is going to be about. 

Come February 14th, I always find myself wondering how such a holiday came to exist. Is it really just a holiday to celebrate love and romance and give people a day to do the whole "hearts and flowers" thing? Is it a scheme to sell things to annoyingly cute couples, make single people sad, or give cynics a reason to smirk? What is Valentine's Day actually about? Well this year, I decided to do a little research to get to the bottom of it.

The holiday has evolved into a more modern form, where people buy chocolates and cards, and elementary school students exchange little handwritten love notes. Some even choose to shoot rifles, like the Penn State rifle club (a way to, how do you say? cope with being single on Valentine's Day. Really, whatever works. It still sounds like fun to me, I'm definitely going to try it out!)

Courtesy of dosavannah.com

You have all probably heard of St. Valentine, and you might be surprised by the fact that Valentine's Day is a little darker than it seems. Do you know who Saint Valentine really is? According to legend, there was an emperor in Rome that believed single men made better soldiers, so he outlawed marriage. St. Valentine, a believer in love and romance, continued to marry couples despite the decree made by the Roman emperor. But when St. Valentine was discovered, he was ordered to be put to death. He was executed on February 14th, and considered to be a martyr -- for love.

St. Valentine saw the injustice that was the decree, so he disobeyed orders in the name of love. And because of his actions and sacrifice, people still celebrate love and commitment to this day.


But in reality, even when you're single, love is still all about the connection you have with people. Whether this love is romantic or platonic, it's still important to remember that love has many forms, and Valentine's Day can be about any type of love. That can even mean taking this day to remember not to take your friends for granted, and to be grateful for the people you do have in your life.

St. Valentine
Courtesy of Google Trends 2016

When I got to college, I had a friend from high school who I thought would be in my life forever, but in a few short months I realized that true love cannot be forced. Just because you've been friends for a long time doesn't mean you'll be friends forever. Love can be disguised within a friendship that just isn't meant to be, but true love can manifest itself within new friendships.

So, this Valentine's Day, I challenge you to love your friends. Love your significant others, love your parents, love your siblings, love yourself. I challenge you to find a reason that justifies the sacrifice that St. Valentine made for everyone.

Courtesy of Wikimedia

Navigating the Sea of Suits

The spring career fair is coming up next week and it might be beneficial to go, even as freshmen. Although it may seem like chances to land an internship are slim, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised if you take the time to prepare and put in some effort once you get there. Although I personally am not looking for anything at the moment because I plan to take classes this summer, I went to the engineering career fair last week to get a sense of what the future holds. Through some eavesdropping, observation, and personal experimentation, I came away from the event with a few things to keep in mind for when I go again next year. 

Spring career fair at the BJC. Photo courtesy of Greg Grieco.

1. Resumes on Resumes on Resumes

One of the most important things to remember when going to an event like a career fair, is your resume. Not just to have it with you, but to make sure it looks the way you want it to. Everyone I spoke to asked for it, and I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit embarrassed handing it to them. Why? Well, because like a lot of things in my life, I put printing my resume off until the last minute. And once I looked at a printed copy, I realized just how much work it needed. That piece of paper is part of the first impression you make, so it's important to make it count. Take your time when crafting your resume, and make it a good reflection of all you've accomplished. Also, try to do something to make it interesting; something to separate it from the piles of resumes on recruiters' desks. I'm even thinking of pulling an Elle Woods and printing it on pink, scented paper. If she got in to law school with it, maybe I can get a job!

Student await their turn. Photo courtesy of Greg Grieco.

2. Dress Your Best

This is pretty simple to remember. You want to present yourself in the best way, and everyone at the career fair is going to be dressed to impress. You don't want to come under dressed because you will feel out of place, trust me. I definitely felt that way and I was in business casual.

Aside from how good everyone looked, one other thing I noticed is how professional a leather portfolio looks. You need to carry copies of your resume in something, so why not invest in a great accessory? It'll come in handy for years to come.

3. Introductions are Important

I wandered from table to table and did a good bit of eavesdropping before I approached anyone myself. What I gleamed from my observations of the people around me is that it's best to know what you want to say before it's your turn to speak to a recruiter. Being straightforward is a good way to get responses you need and a solid handshake (no dead fish!!!) makes everything official.

4. Take a Moment to Prepare

With so many companies attending the career fair, it can get pretty overwhelming. One thing that I plan to do before I go again, is to check out who's going to be there beforehand and formulate a plan of attack. If you know who you want to see, you can look at the map once you get there and be more efficient that way. The lines of students waiting to talk to companies can get pretty long and no one wants to spend all day walking aimlessly amid a sea of suits.

5. Be Yourself

You're a well rounded individual with accomplishments under your belt already. It's important to remember that when attending the career fair in order to be confident in yourself and your potential. Believe that you'll crush it, and you will.

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