We’ll let you in on a secret: We think the squirrels the Penn Art Club put on Locust Walk are funny, too. There’s something inherently humorous and bordering on the ridiculous about squirrels — especially oversized, brightly colored squirrels.
And while it was definitely hard not to snicker during MyFoxPhilly’s broadcast about the theft of said squirrels, we’ve got to be serious for a second: The theft of the squirrels — both this semester and last — is actually not very funny.
To start with, there’s the fact that it’s just plain disrespectful. We’re not 13 anymore, and this doesn’t count as cute, mischievous or precocious. Other students invested the time and the money to paint the sculptures, and the old maxim, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” comes to mind.
A point that may resonate more deeply with the student body, though, is the fact that student fees paid for these statues, however indirectly. Most of the groups are SAC-funded groups, and general fees from all students fund these groups. That means that you, the student, helped fund the squirrels. While the general reaction around campus in response is one of amusement, it’s something that we wish were being taken slightly more seriously.
