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.

