It seems like every campus is obsessed with their squirrels. Mississippi State has their Junction squirrels, the University of Alabama has their quad squirrels, and many other universities have their own special “breed” of squirrels that never cease to amuse and amaze students. So here’s why campus squirrels are all the rage.

Coming from Tuscaloosa, I spent a lot of my time on the UA campus. One of the things that never ceased to amaze me was how many squirrels there were and how they didn’t seem to care at all about the people around them. Now that I’m at Mississippi State, nothing has changed; there are still dozens of squirrels that will practically trip you up if you aren’t careful.

One thing I’ve noticed on Yik Yak - which seems like a ridiculous news source but hey, they are statements directly from the students - is that every campus is obsessed with these little guys. New students on campus can’t get over the fact that they can walk within feet of a squirrel, and it doesn’t even seem to notice them. 

The avid hunters on campus really just want to sit out in the Junction with a .22 and pop a few of them because it’s not like they’ll even run, and picnickers are forever trying to get them to eat out of their hands. People want to pet them, take them home, and train them to ring little cowbells during the games, but this still doesn’t really explain why people are so obsessed.

Here’s the reason: we as people just love the fact that little fluffy wild animals are within petting distance from us. As long as there are campus squirrels, there will always be awed students who try to feed them, catch them, and make them into something they aren’t. They aren’t pets (sadly), they do not have secret cults in their little tree homes (I’ve actually heard that one a few times), and they are not double-agents from other universities trying to get the inside scoop on what’s going on on campus (I kid you not this has been said).   

Even though they aren’t these awesome super-animals we want to make them out to be, we still love them and always will. Campus squirrels are a rare breed that give zero cares about the world. If I could trade places with one for a day, I would. They’re fat and happy, and basically rule the school (or at least the parts of school outside the actual buildings). People love them, respect them, and even humanize them. They’re never going to be more than just squirrels, but they’ll always be the squirrels closest to our hearts. 

No matter where you go, students love their campus squirrels.