If you’re reading this right now, chances are you go to Penn State (and if you don’t, I know you wish you did). And if you go to Penn State, you ‘re already aware of one fact: Penn State is AWESOME.
That’s why “500 Things to Love about Penn State” is finally here to pay homage to the little things you probably take for granted every day that make life as a Penn State student complete. Whether you’ve experienced these 500 things for yourself or I inspire you to take a closer look at what makes this the happiest of valleys, every week I’ll feature just one of the thousands of splendid things about dear old State.
Being that this is my first column post, I knew I needed to come up with something about Penn State that truly is the definition of awesome. With such high expectations, I decided to use this as an opportunity to highlight a key part of Penn State culture that just isn’t appreciated enough.
Without further introduction, I give you the first of 500 Things to Love about Penn State:
#500: Penn State Squirrels
…and I know you know what I’m talking about.
I’m not entirely sure what’s in the acorns around here, but seriously, Penn State squirrels are a species all their own.
I’m from Connecticut, where suburban woodland creatures are, well, normal. If you so much as think about a squirrel the wrong way, they’re already halfway to China, eager to get as far away from you as possible. Penn State squirrels? Not so much.
Somewhere along the line, Happy Valley’s squirrels got an extra-large dose of friendly in them. Think moving closer and closer to them will instill any sort of panic? I’m pretty sure they actually enjoy it. If you try to turn the other way, they’ll just mosey on down your way (you have to admire their determination).
I’ve seen squirrels run over my friends’ feet, jump out of trashcans at passersby and perch themselves in trees making war calls (who knew squirrels made sounds?). Needless to say, they’re nuts.
But probably the best part about PSU squirrels is that they’ll eat absolutely anything that comes their way. Cheese-Its, French fries, apples, ice cream, etc. You name it, I’ve seen a squirrel veraciously chowing down on it.
So, the next time you’re walking down College Ave or past the HUB on the way to class, watch out for everyone’s favorite, furry PSU friends (especially whichever one is on Twitter …. #impressive).
Photo by Jill Podhor
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