In March 2021, The Diamondback published an article on the status of the University of Maryland’s lettuce club. But then-reporter Dylan Shulman’s mission left him wondering about another organization.
“I wonder if the Squirrel Watching Club is active nowadays,” he wrote.
Fast forward to Tuesday evening. This university’s Maryland Squirrel Watchers held a Halloween-themed meeting in the basement of Jiménez Hall, promising “a mysterious night of intrigue, betrayal, and old-fashioned family fun” for attendees.
As Squirrel Watchers filled the classroom, members brought out snacks, an acorn-shaped globe and the club’s mascot — a stuffed squirrel named Brrrrrick. The meeting began with humorous slides reviewing the history of the club and introducing the board.
But then the lights went out. When they came back on, the club’s president was lying “dead” on the ground.
The Diamondback spoke with the corpse in question, co-president of the Maryland Squirrel Watchers and junior computer science major Jonathan Jayaputra.
[Latine Heritage Month Closing Gala celebrates unity among students]
Jayaputra said he and his friends were inspired by Maryland Images tours to create the Maryland Squirrel Watchers.
“Every tour group, they say that there is a squirrel club on campus,” Jayaputra said. “When we were coming in, three or four years ago now, we were hearing about the squirrel club.”
After looking for the club, Jayaputra realized it was nowhere to be found. That’s why in November 2024, he and his friends decided to make their own squirrel-watching organization.
As was evident at Tuesday’s spooky-themed meeting, the club’s initiatives go beyond admiring the campus’ squirrel population.
Jayaputra said because squirrels are the most common animal seen on campus, it is only fitting that the student body have a club dedicated to them.
This semester, the Maryland Squirrel Watchers worked on a “Data Harvesting Initiative.” Students submitted photos of campus squirrels to a shared Google Form for the chance to win a free t-shirt.
When the club received more than 130 submissions of squirrel photos, three lucky participants were chosen at random to receive a free shirt. And in September, the Squirrel Watchers partnered with the Terrapin Trails Club for a squirrel walk around Lake Artemesia.
But beyond that, the Maryland Squirrel Watchers is a social club.
“We really try to host events that people will enjoy,” junior computer engineering major Amanda Callaghan said. “It’s just a good place to have fun, relax, joke about squirrels, things that are slightly less squirrel-themed, like murder mystery.”
On Tuesday, the squirrel watchers were split into groups of detectives and given different pieces of “evidence” to complete the murder mystery, with the game’s rules resembling a squirrel-themed version of Clue.
Callaghan, who serves as diversity, equity and inclusion chair and secretary, was later revealed to be Jayaputra’s murderer.
While the club members were busy uncovering a murder plot, the organization’s affinity for the campus squirrels remained apparent.
[The Last Dinner Party’s ‘From the Pyre’ is cathartic, but puzzling]
“I think they’re very cute and adorable,” said junior computer science major Jack Campbell after the meeting. “I’m glad there’s a club that supports them.”
In the future, the club hopes to continue hosting social events that encourage an appreciation for the University of Maryland’s squirrels.
“We have so many people here today. I mean, it’s just building our membership. Spreading the love of squirrels,” Jayaputra said.
So, to answer Shulman’s inquiry, yes. The Squirrel Watching Club is active nowadays.
