Alexa Thein, senior, is a casual animal devotee.

“I have a dog named Libby and a fish,” Thein said. “The fish’s name is Friend. Ever since we learned about it in psychology, I’ve been classically conditioning him to swim to the top of the tank when I turn on the lights.”

Classical conditioning is a form of learning in which a stimulus comes to signal the occurrence of a second stimulus.

“It seems to be working so far,” Thein said.

Thein said her love for animals extends into her daily life through her work and basic routines.

“I work at Charlotte’s Rib,” Thein said. “It’s funny because I’m a vegetarian and I work at a barbecue place. Sometimes I’m a hostess, and sometimes, I’m a waitress. I tell people my favorite thing to eat is the pulled pork, even though I’ve never tried it.”

While her fondness for furry critters definitely contributed to her vegetarianism, it was not the only factor in her decision eight years ago, Thein said.

“I was actually afraid I’d get Mad Cow Disease if I ate meat when I was a kid,” Thein said.

Although she has pets, Thein said she’d also love to have a porcupine and a huge mastiff.

“The huge mastiff will have to wait, though,” Thein said. “My house isn’t big enough for one, and it’d be unfair to my dog now.”

Besides being an animal aficionado, Thein is an avid storyteller.

“I was run over by a car once,” Thein said. “My best friend did it in her minivan. I didn’t break any bones, though, because I am actually Superman.”