Meet Smokey, the ultimate classroom campaign.
Smokey is a male chinchilla. Smokey is a rodent who originally is descended from the Andes Mountains.
“Chinchillas can’t take regular baths in water due to their dense fur, so they won’t dry off,” said Berger.
Science teacher Jennifer Berger is the owner of Smokey, the 5-year-old chinchilla. Smokey was originally given up by a friend of Berger’s four years ago.
“I got Smokey from a friend who didn’t want to care for him anymore,” said Berger.
Smokey isn’t fed a large variety of food, he sticks with the basics.
“Smokey eats Timothy Grass,” Berger said. “I feed him whenever he acts hungry.”
Smokey loves the “hides” given to him in his cage, and running up and down his stairs.
“Smokey’s favorite place in his cage is his hide, he enjoys going up and down the ramps, especially at night because he is nocturnal,” said Berger.
Berger said she wanted to help out a friend while also keeping her students learning in mind.
“Sometimes, I use him to teach my students about natural selection and adaptations. Also, some kids use him as an emotional support pet,” Berger said.
Smokey is used as a learning tool in the classroom to help students better understand biology. Smokey keeps learning fun and engaging, while also a motivational tool for students to use to get their work done faster and more efficiently.
“I enjoy having animals in my classroom, especially weird ones for kids to interact with,” she said.
Sophomore Ava Fessemeyer is a student in Berger’s science class. She said she originally was confused about Berger’s chinchilla, and what kind of animal it actually was.
“I thought Smokey was a squirrel at first,” said Fesenmeyer. “I was surprised because I didn’t know she had one, but I thought he was really cute.”
Berger’s goal of having interesting animals in her classroom was met as soon as Smokey was entered into her life. Students all around South come to look at him, not just her students.
For example, senior Ella Mitaksov, one of Smokey’s favorite companions, is taking Smokey home over Winter Break.
“Everything because he’s amazing, he is such an emotional support animal. He makes my lunch block so much fun,” said Mitaksov.
Sophomore Chase Roy is a student in Berger’s science class. He gives his views on how Smokey positively affects his peers in the classroom.
“My friends hold him a lot; I get to see him every class,” said Roy.
Fesenmeyer said one highlight of Berger’s class is always when they get to pet the chinchilla.
“He makes learning fun and motivates us to finish our work quickly so we can get him out of his cage and pet him,” said Fesenmeyer.
