College Life

Reflections of an Albino Squirrel

Squirrels. There are squirrels running all over campus. You don’t see them very often during the winter, but they’re all over the place when it’s warmer, running up and down trees, sniffing around the Campanile, and hiding behind the stone benches. Of course there's also that popular albino squirrel running around here. If you’ve never bothered to stop to watch a squirrel, they can be quite entertaining. I’ve done it several times (no, I don’t randomly stand by the Campanile to watch squirrels by myself), and I’ve seen that squirrels do some of the most hilarious things. I once spent at least half an hour with some friends watching a particularly peculiar squirrel by the Campanile. I can’t help but think that he was trying to make us laugh. He would run around in circles, get dizzy, stumble around for a few seconds, and then he would look at us for a while and do it again. It was one of those you-had-to-be-there things. I think there was something wrong with him.

I was sitting in a classroom before class one day, and I had an epiphany. What would the college look like through the eyes of a squirrel? I mean every student that walks by probably looks like the Eiffel Tower to them. No wonder they run like the plague when you try to come near them. The Campanile must look like Mount Everest. If I were a squirrel at the college, I’d probably have at least three heart attacks a day. I can only imagine going through a typical day at PCC as a squirrel.

Imagination time.

I'm the albino squirrel. I’m minding my own business sleeping in the huge live oak tree next to the Campanile when DING DONG DING DONG…… DONG DING DONG DING….. I fall out of the tree and land on one of the beautiful stone benches that are all over campus. My throbbing little head feels a little better knowing that the stone cushioned my fall. I shake it off and decide to scurry around campus while it’s still desolate in the morning since that’s what squirrels do. At 7:50am, I find myself scampering back to the safety of the tree to avoid the stampede of students walking to their first hour class, which starts at 8:00am. The campus is once again mild after class starts. After about fifty minutes, I work up the courage to creep back down the tree, only to be scared out of my wits by the next rush of students going to the 9 o'clock class. After repeating this cycle every hour until the last class of the day ends, I finally decide to stay safely in a branch where I can see the campus. Of course, I also nearly fall out of the tree every fifteen minutes when the Campanile sounds. People also stop to stare and point at me with their friends every time they see me. "What? Never seen a white squirrel before?" I squeak defensively.

Life at PCC as a squirrel is hard (according to my short day dream). But then again, to them the Campanile is a villain that spawns cacophony, rather than a useful tool that reminds everyone of the time. Squirrels can't make friends with some of the thousands of students that pass by every day. Squirrels can't ride a FlowRider, ice skate, take Piano Pedagogy, earn college degrees, or enjoy a soothing cup of espresso in the Palms Grille (though I'd love to see how a squirrel would react if it were on the FlowRider). Students can though. I'll stick to being a student.

I have to admit, though, sometimes those acorns do look a little tasty.

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.
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