Student's activism results revised high school policy

Ken DiMauro, The Plainville Citizen
Allie Petit, right, a senior at Plainville High School, and Ken Fusco, head of the science department, look at models that will be used instead of dissecting animals for science classes.
Posted Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 12:50pm
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In her many years of being a student in Plainville, Allie Petit said she has endured or witnessed fellow students dissecting dead animals for science and other classes.

A senior at Plainville High School, Petit, 17, who has lived in town all her life and is a vegetarian and an unabashed advocate for animals, sought to change the system, wanting to give students who found it morally or ethically wrong to dissect and examine the organs of frogs, fishes, and fetal pigs another option.

"I wanted a policy because I felt other students should not have to go through that," she said, after lobbying science teachers, administrators, and Board of Education members to change the policy to give students the chance to use models or computer software.

The policy, according to Ken Fusco, head of the science department at PHS, said the dissection policy was changed last year. The option for students to use models applies to biology courses all students have to take, not elective science courses that may require dissection of dead animals.

Eventually, Petit said she'd like to expand the new policy to cover elective science courses, but she admitted that her long battle was one of the toughest things she's ever done. That is why she contacted Animalearn, a Jenkintown, Pa.,-based organization that is dedicated to helping educators and students in finding non-animal alternatives to teach and study science. The group helped the teenager in proposing the new policy.

To this end, Petit was recently named 2008 Humane Student of the Year by Animalearn. Petit, the daughter of Sharon and Stephen Lesuer, said she was surprised and honored to be chosen as the recipient. She received a certificate and Animalearn has donated $600 in animal models and computer software to Plainville High School. 

Laura Ducceschi, director of Animalearn, said, "Allie is the perfect example of what a student can do to make a positive change where both students and animals will benefit."

 Ducceschi said Petit believes no student should miss out on the joy and benefit of science because of deeply held moral or ethical beliefs against harming animals. Instead of waiting for a policy to be written by administrators, she decided to write it herself, Ducceschi said.

Fusco said he applauds Petit for her drive of wanting to make things better for students at PHS. While he appreciated what she wanted to do, Fusco said dissecting specimens is important to biology, adding the hands-on is better than looking at photos. He said although hundreds of high school students take science courses, the new policy will give a choice to the handful of students who don't want to dissect.

Petit is pleased and honored by the recent notoriety, but said she is looking forward to taking her activism with her to college. She is scheduled to graduate in June from Plainville High School and will attend Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt., in the fall, studying the environment.

She said that perhaps she will make a difference at the college, too, adding she is ready to battle a system where it should be a student's choice not to dissect animals.



Comments :

DISSECTION OF ANIMALS

Cudos to such a humane young person who understands that we are not the only animals that feel pain! In a society with so much violence we need to educate people of all ages that we need to respect all living beings

Animal Disection

As a Plainville High student, I have endured having to do math in school. I really hate math. I want the policy of having to do math changed to suit me.

What are you talking about?

What are you talking about? These animals are not alive when the sstudents get them! They don't feel any pain. It is because of Bleeding heart liberals like you that our children are lacking behind the industrialized world in math and science. Letting the students make policy is letting the tale wag the dog.

Thanks

Student protests at CUNY School of Law shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, activism has always been part of the curriculum at this New York City institution. The school actually offers a course in civil disobedience taught by professor Dinesh Khosla, himself schooled first-hand in demonstrations in India, where he was arrested more than a dozen times for anti-government protests. His first arrest for civil disobedience was at age 16, after the Ford Foundation gave a grant to help his Delhi high school adopt multiple-choice exams.

Bravo, Allie!

Congratulations to Allie Petit for having the guts not to rip the guts out of animals who shouldn't be killed just for classroom exercises. In this day and age, the use of more sophisticated technology will give her an even better understanding of physiology. Students need to learn science within an ethical framework, and they need support of parents and teachers alike. I hope others will follow her example.

plainville

As a new Plainville High student, I really hate math. I want the policy of having to do math changed to suit me...

Cheers,

Andy

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congratulation allie petit

keep it up...go go go...u can do it...im proud of you...keep your good doing..

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Settle your own damn

Settle your own damn differences and ask AIG to bail your asses out. For christ sake, this country is in economic turmoil so start teaching students who pay dearly for what they are entiled to learn rather then disputiing your financial concerns for the waste you all are. Give the people teaching students the they deserve. They are our future!Don't dare bring up bonuses at this time for already outragious college costs due to administrators or board of trustees with the esculation of outragious costs to a student and their parents to provide them with a college education that cannot guarantee them employment in this day and age unless they excell in football.

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Good job for you petit

hello petit..you are really adorable.Everyone is so proud of you..im sure your parents are so happy for you..you are one in a million...what you did is really inspiration to everybody..go girl..

Petit

Completely agree with the above comment. Thanks for sharing this. levirta

Allie has done a great job

Allie has done a great job and given a lesson to all her fellows. everyone should base her as an example for courage and determination. Her optimism has simplified tasks for all students.

Jags Knowledge

Everyone is so proud of you..im sure your parents are so happy for you.In this day and age, the use of more sophisticated technology will give her an even better understanding of physiology. Students need to learn science within an ethical framework, and they need support of parents and teachers alike. I hope others will follow her example.

Well done. You have shown way

Well done. You have shown way to others on how to get what you rightfully deserve. Very proud of you. Keep up the spirit.

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His first arrest for civil disobedience was at age 16, after the Ford Foundation gave a grant to help his Delhi high school adopt multiple-choice exams.The school actually offers a course in civil disobedience taught by professor Dinesh Khosla, himself schooled first-hand in demonstrations in India, where he was arrested more than a dozen times for anti-government protests.

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