Education

UMass professor brings dog to class to comfort students after election

When a group of University of Massachusetts Amherst students arrived to their German class Wednesday morning, they expected their would be talk about Tuesday’s unexpected presidential election result.

They didn’t expect they’d have a furry friend in their company.

Professor Katrin Bahr brought her dog, wearing a sign that read, “Do you need a hug today?,” into her German class late Wednesday morning, according to a larger Buzzfeed report about how teachers across the nation are helping students cope with the election results.

“It was a really nice distraction,” student Owen Meyer told Buzzfeed.

Bahr said she brought her dog in order to comfort students concerned about Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton.

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“I knew that my dog would get the class cheered up because they were clearly devastated,” Bahr told Buzzfeed. She added that she hoped her dog’s presence would create a more comfortable atmosphere to talk about the election.

Boston Public Schools are also trying to create safe space environments for unsettled students. Superintendent Tommy Chang said the schools will be offering counseling to students, their families, and staff in an open letter published Wednesday.

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