Local Squirrel

Normal, Illinois is not only the home to numerous students attending Illinois State University; it is also home to what feels like millions of squirrels. These animals are the life of the town. If you are feeling down or depressed at any point, I would suggest walking into the quad and looking up in the trees. Seeing those little furry things climbing and jumping from tree to tree will cheer you up in a second. The picture I took on my roommate’s IPhone of a squirrel was a great moment in time. I took this photo around 4:30 pm on Sunday when I was going out to take pictures. I was walking by myself when I ran into this little guy on the sidewalk outside of Stevenson. He stopped and looked at me for about 15 seconds while I took out the camera; I wasn’t sure how to react to the situation. He then walked towards me and then sprinted right past me when he got about 3 feet away. Squirrels are very interesting creatures if you take the time to observe them.  They are all over Normal. Although they are not recognized as a big part of the town culture, I think if a student here was asked to name the school mascot-- besides Reggie Redbird, of course-- the answer would be squirrels.

Although squirrels do not do much in the environment and we sometimes don’t even know they are there, they are so peaceful. They are up in the trees in the quad day and night with their puffy, orange/brownish tails minding their own business. I captured this squirrel on camera as a symbol of how much they mean to this campus. -- Danny Boyle