For the first Question of the Week of the 2025-26 school year, the staff weighed in on their ideal pet.

Tamara Bell

If I could have any animal as a pet, I would choose an Arctic fox because it is my favorite animal. It is a beautiful creature, with white fur that shimmers in the sun. Additionally, it is intelligent and adaptable, so training it should not be too difficult. Not only is it intelligent and adaptable, but it is also is playful and mischievous, which would add a little humor to my day. Overall, having an Arctic fox as a pet would be a dream come true for me. Its beauty, intelligence, adaptability, and playfulness combine to create a wonderful companion. The joy and laughter it would bring into my life, along with the opportunity for meaningful interaction and training, make the Arctic fox a perfect choice.

Isabella Bellotti

I would choose to have an umbrella-crested cockatoo as a pet. With proper training and care, umbrella-crested cockatoos seem like they could be quite the fun pets. With the ability to mimic human speech and the signature crests on their heads, it never seems like there’d be a dull moment with them. And with these expressive parts to them, umbrella-crested cockatoos can be fun to train due to the endless possibilities of tricks and words.

Zach Cornell

If I could have any animal I would definitely choose some kind of monkey. Monkeys are very smart, so you can teach them a lot of tricks. If I had a monkey I would teach it handshakes, teach it how to play sports, have it do chores for me, etc. I probably wouldn’t just have one though, I would get like four or five, and then they would all just hang out and go on adventures and stuff.

Nicholas Hoke

I would choose a spider monkey as a pet because they have a nice balance between chill energy and wild agility. It would not be super clingy and not hyper while still social and intelligent enough to have a relationship, or bond, to communicate and interact in times. Even just the monkey’s effortlessly jumping is interesting enough to watch. Just imagine having a Parkour athlete relaxing in the trees above you. Additionally, their calm temperament and a high level of emotional intelligence help them feel more like a mindful companion than any animal. I just think it would also be cool because they are almost like another human, so you can do more human things, easier to play with, and teach it helpful tasks. In a way they’re totally animals that would make a perfect sidekick, they are so close to human. They are loyal, chill and ready to play or relax.

Grasyn Peterson 

I would probably want a bear as a pet. As long as it stays friendly, a bear is basically just a giant bean bag but better. And they sleep for basically half the year, so half of that year I basically don’t have to worry about them. Another good thing about having a bear is you don’t have to worry about leftovers. If you can’t finish something, I’m sure a bear will eat it and be happy. Bears are also really smart, so I could also teach it stuff like getting stuff from a fridge or getting mail and handing it to me. They basically just make life a whole lot better and a whole lot easier.

Brianne Ryan

I would get a baby seal because they just look way too cute.