Cady Stribling
Features Editor
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As difficult as the transition to online classes may be,  two Murray State students have been making the best of the situation with one of the best things out there: pets.

Brooke Croel has always had a passion for animals and even based her career around them. She received her bachelor’s degree in agriculture for veterinary technology in May 2019 and is now getting her master’s in agriculture with a certificate in veterinary hospital management. She’ll be starting veterinary school this coming fall.

While staying at home and social distancing, Croel paired her passion for her animals with her love of photography to do photoshoots of her cats. Croel said she often does photoshoots with her pets but had to get creative with the photo ideas since she cannot go outside to take any with her friends.

“Since we are social distancing, I had to make a makeshift set up inside my home,” Croel said. “I draped a white lab coat over the cat tree and pushed it against my curtains, and I think it turned out alright!”

Croel said she enjoys the added challenge of working with animals, as well as making precious memories with her pets.

She first saw people doing the “first pandemic” theme with their babies on the internet and wanted to do the same with her cats.

“Pretty much any major holiday I do a photoshoot of my animals, so it was just a natural thing to do for me,” Croel said. “The day I took the ‘first pandemic’ photos I took some for Easter as well as some of them in a bathrobe with a rubber ducky. I just have a lot of fun with it and so far the animals tolerate it since they get treats.”

Croel has been teaching her cats, Thor and Loki, basic commands like “sit” and “stay” since they were kittens. She said their mother passed away when the cats were only five days old, and she has had them since.

“From the get go I taught them how to walk on harness/leash, obey commands and pose for photos so they know if they just sit and look pretty for a while treats will follow,” Croel said. “I always joke that they are basically dogs because that’s how I’ve raised them.”

Along with her cats, Croel has a dog, a snake and lizards.

She has also spent her time doing things she normally doesn’t have time to do like painting, hammocking, deep cleaning and going on walks. She said the transition online has been fine since her classes were already online.

“I am a graduate assistant in the [Animal Health Technology] department, so I’ve been assisting with the transition online for several classes in that program,” Croel said.

Croel said this transition isn’t how many wanted to end the semester, but she is making the best of it.

“I am really proud of how the professors and students alike are handling this unexpected change,” Croel said.

Grace Fugate, agriculture business major from Indianapolis, Indiana, said her classes have been a challenge online but she is thankful for her helpful and understanding professors.

Fugate has spent her time at home riding horses, which she does competitively.

“I’ve been riding horses since I was 7 years old, and I’ve been on the back of a horse any chance I could get since then,” Fugate said. “I’ve been showing at the United States Equestrian Federation rated shows for the past 12 years.”

Fugate has shown horses specifically as a hunter/jumper in the English discipline. She doesn’t own any horses but learned through leasing several horses or practicing on friends’  horses.

“Ever since I can remember, I have been most comfortable on the back of a horse,” Fugate said. “They can be intimidating at first, but the more you’re around them, the more you understand them.”

Fugate said good instruction from a trainer and lots of practice has helped her feel confident when jumping horses. Jumping horses is her favorite trick.

“I’ve learned to trust whatever horse I am riding and I find that’s why jumping is so much fun and exciting,” Fugate said.

Besides working with horses, Fugate has made time to lay in her Eno Hammock on campus, go for long runs, draw, paint and catch up with friends on Zoom.