LONG ISLAND — As students at Adelphi University begin to cram for finals that begin this Friday, they’re getting a little help when it comes to de-stressing.
And her name is Georgia the Bulldog.
Georgia, President Christine M. Riordan’s bulldog, has become a regular fixture in the president’s office in Levermore Hall on campus — especially around finals time for students on campus to spend some time with the “First Dog” of Adelphi, taking their minds off the stress of exams. It’s a type of informal dog therapy that many find helps with stress and anxiety.
Georgia makes appearances at events such as Accepted Students Day and the Athletics Awards Banquet. She is also a favorite with students and others in the Adelphi community on her walks across the campus.
Her visit schedule during this finals week, May 11-17, will be shared on the president’s social media accounts. She will also be at a late-night breakfast for students on Thursday, 9:45-11 p.m. in the University Center.
Riordan, the University’s president since 2015, notes that Adelphi’s scale and philosophy support Georgia’s informal role on campus.
“Small means I can bring my bulldog, Georgia, into the office and invite students over to relieve exam-time stress.”
Two years ago, Georgia got an Instagram account, currently with a following of more than 500. Her motto: “I may be a bulldog, but I’m a Panther at heart.” (Adelphi’s official mascot is the Panther.)
There will also be other programs in place to help students relieve stress from end-of-year exams, including a relaxation event on Thursday, part of National Nurses Week. The “Long Night Against Procrastination” begins at 5 p.m. Thursday in Adelphi’s Swirbul Library.
It runs until midnight, and includes yoga, counselors to help with stress management, and campus walks , along with tutors to help with academic papers, librarians to help with research, and healthy snacks and midnight pizza.
