Albino Squirrel Preservation Society
Encyclopedia
The Albino Squirrel Preservation Society (ASPS) is an international collegiate organization dedicated to "fostering compassion and goodwill" toward albino
squirrel
s. The ASPS has approximately 700 members in eight chapters across the United States, Canada and England.
Founded in April 2001 by Gary Chang and Dustin Ballard at the University of Texas at Austin
, the first ASPS chapter was created to celebrate a longstanding legend on campus, which states that seeing an albino squirrel before a test is good luck (although none of the white squirrels on campus were technically albino). In less than a year, the UT Austin chapter became one of the largest official student organizations in the University's history.
After widespread popularity at UT Austin, the society's second and third chapters formed at the University of North Texas
and University of Pennsylvania
, respectively. In the following years, ASPS chapters were formed at the University of Western Ontario
, Cambridge University, Texas A&M University
, Illinois State University
, the Juilliard School of Music, and Concord High School in Concord, California
.
The ASPS has gained nationwide popularity through a number of media appearances, most notably with the University of North Texas chapter's appearance on Animal Planet
. Club activities include pro-squirrel rallies, campouts and t-shirt sales.
Albinism
Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin...
squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s. The ASPS has approximately 700 members in eight chapters across the United States, Canada and England.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, the first ASPS chapter was created to celebrate a longstanding legend on campus, which states that seeing an albino squirrel before a test is good luck (although none of the white squirrels on campus were technically albino). In less than a year, the UT Austin chapter became one of the largest official student organizations in the University's history.
After widespread popularity at UT Austin, the society's second and third chapters formed at the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
and University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, respectively. In the following years, ASPS chapters were formed at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, Cambridge University, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, Illinois State University
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
, the Juilliard School of Music, and Concord High School in Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
.
The ASPS has gained nationwide popularity through a number of media appearances, most notably with the University of North Texas chapter's appearance on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
. Club activities include pro-squirrel rallies, campouts and t-shirt sales.