rhiannonyee Fri Jan 08, 2010 12:06 amCross Country Pet
By Rhiannon Yee
He’s cute. He’s fluffy. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Win State, the newest addition to the boys cross country team!
And yes, believe it or not, Win State is a squirrel. Found in the Santa Anita Park, the baby squirrel had fallen out of a tree and was completely helpless. Concerned runners called Coach O’Brien over to decide what to do with the pitiful creature, which was so young that it could not even open its eyes. Since the squirrel obviously couldn’t take care of itself and no longer had a home, Coach O’Brien simply picked it up and rode back to school with it on his bike.
Although the whole team stops in to visit Win in Coach O’Brien’s office, junior Zack Marriott says, “Coach is pretty much the only one who deals with [it]…when it was little he fed it kitten formula through a syringe”. Win now subsists on a simple diet of soft nuts and fruits, and has a special fondness for grapes. Sometimes, to get others to bestow more treats upon him, Win burrows his food into his blankets to hide it all and pretends he has nothing left to eat. Sneaky little squirrel!
At first he started off in a warm, cozy shoebox, but Win has now upgraded to a much better and larger home- a nice, roomy dog kennel. Win definitely is definitely living the high life, especially because he has so many friends. The manager of the team, sophomore Kaitlyn Forell says, “the team embraced the squirrel surprisingly well. It seems like everyday before practice boys are in the office visiting…[he has] become the mascot of the team and they even took [him] to their state meet for good luck”.
Win even behaves like any well behaved dog or cat though he has never had real training as a pet. Sometimes, Coach O’Brien takes him on walks around campus on his shoulder just to get a little fresh air. When the excitement of being outsides overwhelms the little squirrel, he will occasionally attempt to scurry away, but over all Win is a tame, cute little pet, gently nibbling people’s fingers every now and then.
Every once in a while, doing a good deed might result in an even better outcome, which the cross country team proved when they rescued a feeble, baby squirrel from harsh circumstances and gave it a home. Now they have all have a new friend, mascot and good luck charm. So the next time you’re strolling past Coach O’Brien’s office, make sure to pop in and say hello to our resident squirrel!
By Rhiannon Yee
He’s cute. He’s fluffy. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Win State, the newest addition to the boys cross country team!
And yes, believe it or not, Win State is a squirrel. Found in the Santa Anita Park, the baby squirrel had fallen out of a tree and was completely helpless. Concerned runners called Coach O’Brien over to decide what to do with the pitiful creature, which was so young that it could not even open its eyes. Since the squirrel obviously couldn’t take care of itself and no longer had a home, Coach O’Brien simply picked it up and rode back to school with it on his bike.
Although the whole team stops in to visit Win in Coach O’Brien’s office, junior Zack Marriott says, “Coach is pretty much the only one who deals with [it]…when it was little he fed it kitten formula through a syringe”. Win now subsists on a simple diet of soft nuts and fruits, and has a special fondness for grapes. Sometimes, to get others to bestow more treats upon him, Win burrows his food into his blankets to hide it all and pretends he has nothing left to eat. Sneaky little squirrel!
At first he started off in a warm, cozy shoebox, but Win has now upgraded to a much better and larger home- a nice, roomy dog kennel. Win definitely is definitely living the high life, especially because he has so many friends. The manager of the team, sophomore Kaitlyn Forell says, “the team embraced the squirrel surprisingly well. It seems like everyday before practice boys are in the office visiting…[he has] become the mascot of the team and they even took [him] to their state meet for good luck”.
Win even behaves like any well behaved dog or cat though he has never had real training as a pet. Sometimes, Coach O’Brien takes him on walks around campus on his shoulder just to get a little fresh air. When the excitement of being outsides overwhelms the little squirrel, he will occasionally attempt to scurry away, but over all Win is a tame, cute little pet, gently nibbling people’s fingers every now and then.
Every once in a while, doing a good deed might result in an even better outcome, which the cross country team proved when they rescued a feeble, baby squirrel from harsh circumstances and gave it a home. Now they have all have a new friend, mascot and good luck charm. So the next time you’re strolling past Coach O’Brien’s office, make sure to pop in and say hello to our resident squirrel!