October 05, 2022 (vol. 132, iss. 94) • Page Image 14
… top of one of the trash cans that hug the Diag’s cement benches. Not seeing what it wanted after searching for several seconds, the squirrel jumped down and started sniffing the ground by a tree…
…The squirrel is a staple of the University of Michigan’s culture. They make their homes in almost every corner of Ann Arbor, causing may- hem among themselves and providing entertain- ment for the…
… people who walk through the city’s streets and parks each day. I don’t claim to know everything about squirrels, but in applying the findings from research on the psychology of these (in)famous rodents…
…, I can at least sound like I know a thing or two about squirrels and demys- tify the lives of our honorary campus mascot. *** October had always been Kaia’s favorite month. The fallen leaves…
… arch and toward the Diag as hundreds of other students scurried to arrive at their prospective destina- tions. It was like a pattern of nature, this migra- tion of students leaving from or heading…
… toward a new location 10 minutes before the hour. A pack of swans headed north, limited only by a semesterly class schedule. Passing by the Shapiro Library, Kaia could see at least six squirrels in…
… her line of vision, though there were likely many more hiding behind trees and under benches within the same area. Fox squirrels, gray squirrels and a couple black squirrels were all visible among…
… undergraduates monopolizing the sidewalks. Kaia always thought that the Ann Arbor squirrels were cute, if a bit brainless. Last fall, her roommate had even kicked an unlucky, frantic one of these creatures…
… while running in Nichols Arboretum as it darted in front of her on the path. They were cute, but that did not mean Kaia found them completely endearing, or respect- able. Squirrels could be ruthless…
…, mean, erratic — and their scavenging habits involving cam- pus trash bins diminished any majestic quality they may have otherwise carried. In essence: Squirrels were a part of Kaia’s life, sometimes…