Sophia Lam
3-19-13
UWP 1 022 – Swanberg
Word Count- 1139
Animal Science Saves the World!
Dear UC Board of Regents,
For the past couple of years the state has gone through multiple tragedies, but I am glad
to hear that you are all well and human after the recent zombie pandemic throughout the world.
Although most of the infected have been extinguished, California’s population has dropped from
38 million to 5 million without a determined cure for the rabid zombie disease and an unknown
amount of infected remaining. There has also been a major decrease in food production and
animals worldwide, so with the small amounts of resources and people I have heard that you are
beginning to cut out programs from the universities. Due to how you may cut animal science
programs, I am writing to you today to tell you how beneficial the major is. From research and
education, learning and practicing animal science will help reconstruct and prepare society for
upcoming challenges, through the mutualism between human and animal.
When the apocalypse hit California there was a loss of a variety of resources that
societies need, ranging from food to clothes. During the age of the cave man or Native
Americans, there was a relationship with animals such as mammoths to buffalos which helped
them survive. Since then animals have been an important aspect to human life. Without
livestock, companion, and wild animals the world wouldn’t have “food, fiber, labor and
companionship”, “so it makes sense that we need animal scientists to keep these animals healthy
and productive” (AnimalSmart.org). Today animals have been incorporated into our lives
through biological, psychological, and industrial reasons by providing food, companionship,
clothing, and products. With animal science we have the capability to understand how their
bodies work to improve dairy, meat, and fiber products especially during a time of scarcity.
Preserving animals also gives us multiple types of activities from sports to transportation
(Animal-Science.net). Keeping animal science programs thus gives humanity the ability to
rebuild our resources and bring back animal related lifestyles we use to have before the
apocalypse.
Not only does animal science provide food on the table and clothes on our backs, the
programs also provide research on genetics and nutrition, to improve food, medicine, cures, and
reproduction. Since we are not sure how to cure zombies or where the rabid disease came from,
there is a possibility that it came from a species. Even though animal science comes off as a
focus on just livestock, avian, and pets, it also takes humans into consideration as it is a study on
“how diseases spread between humans and animals” (AnimalSmart). Since animal scientists are
able to control specific genes, such as those controlling muscle composition and lactation in
domesticated animals, they are able to make cattle, swine, and chickens grow well and stay
healthy to supply the world with nutritious foods (AnimalSmart). Since nutrition has become
scarce, learning animal science will help improve and reestablish our healthy diets. As our world
begins to go back to normal, we still need to find a cure and the gene that caused the disease.
Providing funds for animal science will increase the “understanding of human health, genetics,
and medicine” allowing scientists to discover a cure or to isolate the rabid gene from breaking
out again (American Society of Animal Science (ASAS)). During the apocalypse it was recorded
that our Earth’s ecosystem had collapsed, but with the help of animal science we are able to rebreed a large span of species to help preserve companion, lab, zoo and exotic animals (Hogberg
141). Without rebuilding the ecosystem, the food chain will be disrupted and the earth will be in
disarray.
Some may get the wrong impression when animal science changes certain things in
domesticated animals, such as genetically enhancing the composition of meat, milk, or poultry. It
can be said that we’re just rebuilding the world, so we don’t need to be concerned with changing
a cow’s genetics because “the healthiest food is natural food” (Webster 83). People may have
also said that “food and farming were fine before animal scientists came into the picture”
(Webster 84), but people don’t notice the care taken into consideration with the animals.
However, “animal science is very concerned with the rights of animals” as well (Animal
Science). From my experiences as an animal science major, it is true that steroids are implanted
into farm animals or hens are tricked into laying eggs, but they aren’t beaten or in constant pain.
Most animals in research have been placed in clean, bacteria free environments and slaughter is
fast and controlled. Overall I’ve seen the animals being treated like pets, named and loved. Even
if we just need to grow food to feed 5 million people in California, “animal scientists also work
with farmers to improve their crops for animal feed and people” (Animal Smart). Therefore, the
major has influences on non-animal related subjects that will help sustain our diets. Even with
the skepticism, I hope you take consideration in the broad use of animal sciences that will be
useful in our state’s current position.
Right now it may be hard to determine which programs should be cut from the UCs and
you may have chosen animal science because “the degree is so specific that it will be tough to
give useful skills for jobs outside animal science jobs” (Loose, “College Majors that are
Useless”). It is understandable that after an apocalypse doctors, engineers, or soldiers are needed
to help and protect the people, but President of American Society of Animal Science, Dr.
Margaret Benson, had said that, “animal science majors are in great demand” (ASAS). Not only
is the major in demand, it is actually a broad subject that ranges from agriculture to species, and
to humans. In animal science programs students are able to learn about physiology, genetics,
animal behavior, environment management, and veterinary medicine (Easter, “Animal Science in
Academia”). The major also provides skills for governmental and medical jobs. With an all in
one package, the major should be kept and protected from budget cuts, especially when it is not
even offered at every single UC.
As this letter comes to a conclusion I hope that I have convinced you all that animal
science is an important major, especially during this time of need. After the apocalypse occurred,
many lost their jobs, homes, and loved ones, but overall their lifestyles. Having a lifestyle that
consisted of buying food and clothes whenever we wanted, going to work, or playing with our
pets. However we can bring it back by funding animal science because it provides food, clothes,
medicine, and animals. In the end animal science will rebuild and repopulate the world, but most
importantly create a new life for everyone.
Thank you for taking time to read this letter and I hope you take my argument into
consideration.
Sincerely,
Sophia Lam
Works Cited
American Society of Animal Science. "Animal Scientists Respond To Yahoo’s “College Majors
That Are Useless”." Beef Magazine. Penton Media, 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
<http://beefmagazine.com/business/animal-scientists-respond-yahoo-s-college-majorsare-useless>.
- - -. "History and Mission" ["http://www.asas.org/about-asas/history-and-mission"]. American
Society of Animal Science. ASAS, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
"Animal Science." Animal Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2013. <http://www.animalscience.net/>.
"Why Is Animal Science Important?" Animal Smart. Animal Smart, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
<http://animalsmart.org/animal-science/why-is-animal-science-important->.
Easter, Robert A. "Animal Science in Academia: What Does the Future Hold?" Swine Nutrition:
3-5. Cab Direct. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20093333638.html?resultNumber=43&start=40&q=
animal+science>.
Hogberg, Maynard. "Training Animal Scientists for the Future." Adapting Animal Science
(2010): 137-43. Cab Direct. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20113156542.html?resultNumber=25&start=20&q=
animal+science>.
Kramer, Mary Hope. "Is An Animal Science Degree Worth Pursuing?" About. About.com, 14
June 2011. Web. 7 Feb. 2013. <http://animalcareers.about.com/b/2011/06/14/is-ananimal-science-degree-worth-pursuing.htm>.
Loose, Terence. "College Majors That Are Useless." Yahoo. Vantage Media, n.d. Web. 7 Feb.
2013. <http://education.yahoo.net/articles/most_useless_degrees.htm>.
Webster, A. J. F. "Has Animal Science Failed Society?" Pig News and Information 23.3 (2002):
81-85. Cab Direct. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20023132201.html;jsessionid=46D4C7423953BC5C
34C8D131FF31B759?resultNumber=0&q=animal+science&gitCommit=4.13.20-5ga6ad01a>.