“A squirrel leaping from bough to bough, and making the wood but one wide tree for his pleasure, fills the eye not less than a lion, is beautiful, self-sufficing, and stands then and there for nature.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
From time to time, a new phenomenon is so culturally significant, so attuned to the contemporary American ethos, that anyone exposed to it recognizes instantly the dramatic social potential it offers. Gutenburg’s generation saw the printing press; Ford’s generation had the automobile; and our brave new world has, of course, squirrel fishing.
The gist of this adventurous sport is this: The “fisherman,” wielding a fly fishing rod, attaches a peanut to the end of the line and casts the bait to attract the rodents. Once an attracted squirrel has latched on to the nut, the sportsman tugs on to the line until the squirrel snatches or releases the peanut.
Clearly, squirrel fishing ranks among the most noble natural pastimes, a tradition that will without a doubt long outlive anyone reading this warm but ultimately insufficient tribute.
Squirrel fishing, then, transcends mere sporthood; it is, in its own right, a modern spiritual enterprise. In what can be described best as a subtle but powerful dance between human and squirrel, the endeavor exemplifies man’s intimate commune with nature.
And our furry campus is particularly suited for the consideration of this bold, new phenomenon. Even those outside the community recognize the school’s long-standing tradition of human-squirrel symbiosis. Jon’s World o’ Squirrels, a Web site (http://www.gottshall.com/squirrels/) created by rodent enthusiast Jonathan Gottshall that offers squirrel-related resources, rated the University campus four squirrels (out of five) for squirrel friendliness.
A new breed of cultural protectors has emerged on this campus: A group of students seeking to make squirrel fishing an official Club sport.
Responses have been mixed.
“The reactions we get around campus are usually really enthusiastic or really upset,” explained Jason McIlhaney, the club’s co-president.
The five-seat Club sports executive committee has delayed, for now, sanctioning squirrel fishing as a Club sport, citing potential ethical concerns.
“I just want to make sure that we’re not doing anything offensive to the squirrels,” committee member Lauren Anas said.
But surely the activity represents quite the opposite, that is, an elevation of both squirrel and human as partners in a mutually beneficial arrangement: Squirrels sate themselves on delicious peanuts, while humans can take a brief reprieve from the bustle of the modern world and immerse themselves in a long-standing — and intensely personal — natural tradition.
Better yet, about 30 students are already involved in the club, some three times the number required to form a Club sport.
For the enhancement of University’s culture and spiritual health, the Emerald Editorial Board heartily encourages the Club sports executive committee to add squirrel fishing to the University’s fine roster of Club sports activities.