Reggie Bee, the University of
Michigan’s
unofficial
campus
corgi, has lived a life as rich and
fulfilling as any canine companion
could aspire to, said Ann Arbor
resident and owner Michael Sola.
He laughed upon recalling Reggie
chasing deer through Zion National
Park, swimming in the ocean off
the coast of Naples, Florida and
being Sola’s ‘personal lucky charm’
in Las Vegas.
Still, more than anywhere else,
Sola said the 10-year-old red and
white Pembroke Welsh Corgi left
his pawprint on the University and
in the hearts of its students. Besides
his frequent frolics on the Diag,
Reggie was infamously entered in
the 2018 race for CSG president,
portrayed
Paulette’s
pampered
pooch Rufus in Musket’s ‘Legally
Blonde’ and made the cover of The
Daily’s own The Statement.
“It was just one of those perfect
matches, like the marriage you
always want,” Sola said. “Reggie
and the University students, it’s a
perfect marriage.”
With
roughly
8,000
friends
and followers combined on his
Facebook and Instagram pages,
Reggie is considered “the biggest
celebrity to regularly walk the
streets of Ann Arbor,” and taking
a picture with him is number eight
on the University’s pre-graduation
bucket list. The last time Reggie
was on campus, however, was Dec.
17, 2020, and he passed away soon
after on Dec. 20.
According to Sola, Reggie was
clearly not feeling well the night of
Dec. 19. The next day, Sola dropped
him off at the veterinarian’s office,
unable to go into the building with
Reggie
due
to
COVID-related
restrictions. Ten minutes after he
had driven away, Sola received a
call from Reggie’s doctor with the
news Reggie had just passed away.
The cause of death is still unknown.
Sola said he was so shocked and
hurt by Reggie’s sudden death that
he was unable to publicly break
the news until his recent Facebook
post on Reggie’s page April 23.
“It was just too hurtful to even
announce it because I knew that
would lead to talking to people,”
Sola said. “I just needed time to
myself to realize that it really
happened, especially because of
the way it happened.”
When asked for a comment about
Reggie’s passing, the University
submitted a statement from Mary
Jo Desprez, Director of Wolverine
Wellness.
Desprez
wrote
that
Reggie has become a valuable part
of the University community and
recommends those who knew him
take time to reflect on their good
memories together in light of the
recent loss.
“Reggie was one of a few pets
that became part of our campus
community,” Desprez wrote. “We
are grateful for all the times that
Reggie ‘showed up’ and made our
community
smile
—
especially
during this past year. Reggie was a
source of comfort and connection,
of unconditional acceptance, of fun
and joy.”
Reggie’s charismatic personality
and uncanny ability to make people
smile dates back to when Sola
adopted
the
then-two-year-old
corgi from a woman in Gaylord,
MI. When Sola walked in the
door, he said Reggie immediately
beelined towards him, his tongue
hanging out in greeting.
“He saw me and went racing all
the way to the door and he had a
big, happy look on his face,” Sola
said. “All dogs are happy of course,
but Reggie just seemed to be always
happy.”
As an Air Force veteran who
served during the Vietnam War,
Sola
originally
adopted
Reggie
as a service dog, which allowed
him to walk Reggie unleashed.
As Reggie increasingly interacted
with University students, Sola said
he decided to have him trained as a
therapy dog as well.
“Because of the type of service
dog he was for me, he could legally
be off a leash,” Sola said. “That
was kind of magic because Reggie
would just wander around and
people could find him.”
LSA
junior
Abner
Santiago
vividly remembers meeting Reggie
for the first time during a summer
program prior to his freshman
year. Santiago said he feels like
it was yesterday that he was in
the 7-Eleven on South University
Avenue and began sprinting to the
Diag after receiving a text message
from a friend saying Reggie was
there.
2
Thursday, May 6, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS
Campus community remembers
beloved campus corgi Reggie Bee
after owner announces his passing
After his first 100 days in office,
President
Biden
gave
his
first
address to a joint session of congress
on Wednesday night. Biden talked
about his administration’s COVID-19
response and two major investment
plans for American jobs and families.
For the first time in American history,
there were two women behind the
President — Vice President Kamala
Harris and Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi.
Biden
began
his
speech
by
reflecting on the worst pandemic
the U.S. has seen in a century and
the progress of the American Rescue
Plan, which was signed into law on
March 11.
“After I promised we’d get 100
million
COVID-19
vaccine
shots
into people’s arms in 100 days, we
will have provided over 220 million
COVID shots in those 100 days,”
Biden said.
More than half of American adults
have received at least one dose of
the COVID-19 vaccine and 90% of
Americans live within five miles of a
vaccination location, Biden said.
LSA
sophomore
Andrew
Schaeffler,
campus
organizer
for
Students for Biden, said he was happy
with Biden’s COVID-19 efforts.
“There are always going to be
some of those classic campaign
promises, but in terms of COVID,
he’s
come
through,”
Schaeffler
said. “The promises with the most
tangible impact have been fulfilled
and exceeded.”
Biden also discussed his American
Jobs Plan to create millions of livable-
wage jobs, 75% of which he said
would not require a college degree.
The stated purpose of this legislation
is to rebuild America’s infrastructure,
including an upgrade to roads and
bridges and replacing all lead pipes
to ensure access to clean water. The
legislation aims to support caregivers
with better wages and benefits,
positioning the U.S. to compete
with foreign powers using a modern
power grid and high-speed internet
for every American, Biden said.
“This is the largest jobs plan since
World War II,” Biden said. “American
tax dollars are going to be used to
buy American products, made in
America, to create American jobs.”
LSA
sophomore
Evan
Hall,
Co-Chair
of
College
Democrats,
emphasized the impact of President
Biden’s American Jobs Plan.
“I believe the broader legislation
on
human
infrastructure—which
includes
anti-racism
policies
and
immigration—and climate change
are eager measures we are excited to
see impact Michigan politics,” Hall
said.
Later
in
his
speech,
Biden
highlighted the four goals of his
administration’s American Families
Plan, which will aim to cut child
poverty rates in half, Biden said. The
plan intends to increase access to
education by providing two years of
universal preschool and two years
of free community college; access to
quality, affordable childcare; up to
twelve weeks of paid parental and
medical leave; and an extension of
the childcare tax credit.
‘Doing nothing is not an option’:
President Biden delivers first
address to joint session of Congress
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SOPHIA AFENDOULIS/Daily
Reggie Bee, the University’s unofficial campus corgi passed away last December.