March 2006: "Cows"

Beware the Ides of March
Cows

March 2006

vt experience home about features back to peterpages.net

Following "spring" break, things got back to business. But that didn't stop a number of unusual trips and events from occuring.

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Cows | Sports, Etc. | Bears

Section 1:
Cows

To stay in the Hillcrest Honors Community, students are required to take a discussion-group class each semester. This year, somebody in my session decided to try to arrange the group's activities, guest speakers, and topics to be as interesting as possible. So this month, one of our trips was to Virginia Tech's dairy science complex to see... the Fistulated Cows! Holy Cow, Batman. Stay tuned next month for the trip to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the Smart Road.

Also, thanks to Jeremy, special guest contributor of about 1/2 of this trip's pictures.


	Dastardly propaganda-spreading attendees of other Universities in Virginia have for years been partaking in a slanderous campaign to label Virginia Tech as a "cow college." No! Virginia Tech has loads more to offer (ex.: their College of Engineering). Although I suppose this field trip kind of does work towards their favor.
"How do you like your quasi-futuristic clothes, Mr. Powers? I designed them myself." Since we were, after all, visiting the dairy complex, our guide was kind enough to give us some disposible space boots.
	Here is a typical cow that we saw, relaxed and at ease after a good trip to the bathroom...
...I mean milking station. But it kind of makes you wonder who was the guy who said, "Hmm, I think I'll yank on this dangly thing here and drink whatever comes out."
	But these early educational attractions (and a backside group photo!) were just warm-ups for the terror and fury that was...
...the actual fistulated cows! I think Jeremy's expression pretty much sums up the whole experience. It's a cow... with a hole in its side with a plug in it... you take out the plug and stick your hand in and feel around. Oh, and this cow was sick and in serious need of some Pepto Bismol or something. Two words: very liquidy. If "liquidy" is even a word.
	Chris tries his luck as I model the elbow-length gloves, complete with emergency backup latex gloves inside.
It was exactly as gross as I imagined. The inside of its (the cow's) stomach had raised bumps in some sort of harlequin pattern. Also, this angle was not particularly photogenic, what with me being left handed and all.
	Greg's a natural at this. Not like he's an animal science major or anything. Jeremy even got a video.
Yep, nothing like a little bit of boating to relax... wait a minute, that's a CESSPOOL! GROSS! Seriously, this is where they put all the water they use to clean out the barns. And it has a very high concentration of fecal matter. And we were wondering why there was a rowboat sitting next to it. And if you look closely, I'm about 2 inches away from actually touching the boat.
	What is Jeremy holding? Read his shirt.
Peter gives this giant pile of poo two thumbs up.
	Here's looking at you kid. You know, it's only in looking back at these pictures that I notice that in these last three, it looks as though Jeremy and I are practicing our Abu Grahib poses, for lack of a better term. [Note: when I started writing this page, this reference was a little bit more current. Sorry this has taken so long. Stupid job.]