My dorm room (Vedder 272A, for those of you who forget already) has the distinct feature of overlooking the Smith Quad. Last evening, I was looking out my window when I saw two guys sitting in lawn chairs on the quad. One had a length of string at his feet. Following the string with my eyes, I found that the other end was tied to a stick that was propping open the lid on a rather large Tupperware container. Clearly some sort of foul plan was afoot, but I could not wrap my head around what precisely. Why would two college guys sit out in the quad, patiently reading a book, with a Tupperware container propped open with a stick tied to a string?

Then I saw the squirrels milling about by the trees, and everything suddenly made sense. These studious boys were attempting to trap a squirrel in that Tupperware container! How brilliant!

Of course, by brilliant, I mean wasteful. Myriad questions about this activity arise. What did they plan on doing with the squirrel once they captured it? Couldn’t they be using their time more wisely? How much better would their GPA be if they put that much effort towards, say, writing a paper, instead of attempting to capture small wildlife in plastic food containers?

I’m not exactly one to talk, though. I, too, spend entirely too much time engaging in wasteful activities. In fact, since my computer is broken and in for repairs this week (again), I’ve realized just how much time I waste. I’ve realized that I have so much more time available when I am without a computer. In light of this, I’m making a resolution to spend less time engaging in wasteful activities, and more time engaging in meaningful pursuits (such as studying or this website). Of course, life isn’t all about work, and sometimes you just have to relax and have a good time—which means wasting some time, more often than not—but it seems that I could better use my time, and therefore, I shall make an effort to be more productive in the future.

It’s amazing what watching two young men trap squirrels can do for you.