Gettysburg students have grown fond of the many squirrels seen roving around campus (Photo Merlyn Maldonado/The Gettysburgian)
By Danielle Sicotte, Contributing Writer
A bird? A suspiciously small plane with a fluffy tail? Nope, it’s a squirrel, and this campus is full of them.
Everywhere you look on campus you can most certainly spot a squirrel. The abundance of green grass and trees at Gettysburg College attracts many squirrels seeking a simpler small-community life every year.
The large span of nature also provides them with a safe environment to carry out their everyday squirrel activities such as finding nuts, hiding nuts, stuffing nuts in their cheeks, and of course chasing other squirrels with nuts. In other words, the squirrels go nuts for nuts.
The campus squirrels undeniably have a nutty obsession. When they aren’t being their squirrely selves, they’re dedicated to the never-ending hunt for nuts – always out and about with the thought of them in the back of their minds.
I asked one of these squirrels why they liked nuts so much but my interviewee scurried away, his cheeks full, before he could answer. No matter, the campus community still adores these fluffy creatures regardless of their nutty mania.
But why exactly are these squirrels so adored throughout campus? The answer is quite simple: they’re cute, fluffy, and unusually friendly. As anyone who steps foot on campus will find, the furry inhabitants of the area have unique lovable personalities.
Tessa Panero ’22 recalled, “As I was walking to art class, I saw this squirrel gathering leaves. It was very cute.” These squirrels seem to have the exceptional ability of providing everyone with a furry friend.
Gettysburg students are not exempt from the daily entertainment the squirrels provide. One of these students, Emma Hedgpeth ’22 remembered seeing a squirrel catch a cicada during freshman orientation.
“The squirrel waited for the right moment and then quickly caught it and ran away,” Hedgpeth said. “It was so funny!”
As Sam Shourds ’22 put it, “Squirrels are funny creatures. They are really entertaining.”
It’s a well-known fact that campus would not be the same without it’s fluffy community, which we have grown to appreciate. Despite their nutty mania, these cheery creatures will always be welcomed. Here on campus, we never fail to make Bob Ross proud with our acceptance and friendship of these squirrel companions.
