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From the Mammon Issue (May 2000):
S.O.S. Chief: "We're Militant" Rocky: "Gee Bullwinkle, Columbia's Trying to Kill Me" Edward Ehrbar The Fed hates being wrong. But, occasionally, due to some strange alignment of the planets, it does happen. In March, I reported that there were no real causes left on campus worth fighting for. I was wrong. In the past month, a new, self-proclaimed "grassroots" movement has sprung up at Columbia. This group, Save Our Squirrels, or S.O.S., was launched because of a little-known university problem. Apparently, in the administration's over-zealous attempt to eradicate the campus's population of common New York City rats, a great number of squirrels have been mercilessly done away with as well. To find out more, I took the bait and sat down for an interview with "High Squirrel Chieftain" Aaron Raskin, CC '02. What I found was startling. Save Our Squirrels was started at the end of March by Raskin along with Manny Marks, CC '02, Will Hunter, CC '02, and Adam Valenstein, CC '02. They proudly consider themselves animal lovers, and it is this love that drove them to start a flyer-based campaign against what they view as an unfair administrative practice. "We feel that squirrels are getting caught in the rat boxes, and that those are not safe for other animals such as squirrels," proclaims Raskin. The existence of the traps relates to a recent rat epidemic in the New York City area. However, as S.O.S. sees it, there has also been a squirrel decrease. Raskin reasons that this is because rats are clever and vicious, while squirrels are just harmless nut-gatherers. The difference between a rat and a squirrel, according to S.O.S., may go beyond basic physiology. "Besides the fuzzy tail and the loving disposition, it might be something karmic," Raskin theorizes. They admit, however, that rats may have been unfairly given a bad rap, and could be considered a group targeted for discrimination. Ultimately, S.O.S. may extend their cause to include rats and other vermin as well. Their flyers intimate a possible threat to pigeons in the future, and the organization does not rule out working to protect what Mayor Giuliani has called "rats with wings." For now, however, they are keeping things simple. Their course of action at the moment is to raise awareness for their cause, one they view as a great injustice to rodent-kind. On several occasions, the various members of S.O.S. could be found around campus, their giant squirrel mascot in tow, asking passersby to "crush nuts in protest." The act of crushing nuts, usually peanuts, is meant to represent the participant's sympathy for the squirrels. It is unclear as to whether or not this makes any coherent sense, but the sight of a student wielding a large hammer-like device is impressive. The S.O.S. documents these happenings, which they refer to as "open spectacles," with a video camera. The eventual plan is to send a video of everyday university folk smashing nuts to George Rupp in hopes of garnering an official response. From there, they will plan their next move.
As for now, the world will have to wait and see what is to come of this new movement on campus. Raskin is quick to distance his group from other protest groups on campus. Whereas most organizations, like SAFER and the Students Against Sweatshops, are viewed as political and legislative-oriented, S.O.S. view themselves as purely humanitarian. They do not want paperwork and policies. All they request is a direct change in action from the administration. Until that happens, an undetermined number of squirrels' lives hang in the balance. S.O.S. will not rest until these animals are safe. As Raskin is quick to point out, "we're militant."
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