“BLACKBIRD SLAMMING INTO HUBBELL’S GLASS...” goes the Paul McCartney ditty. O undertaker of ungulates, mortician of mammals, I simply cannot abide staring at a dead animal...while gnawing on a dead animal! “We got no food, we got no jobs — our pets’ heads are falling off!” wails Lloyd from “Dumb and Dumber.” Graphic BY Meghan Holloran | photo editor
We have been facing a scourge here recently at Drake University. Animal corpses have been appearing around campus. Most notable are the dead birds outside Hubbell Dining Hall.
Since the start of the school year, the glass at the north side of Hubbell has seen a consistent parade of bird corpses. Sadly, these poor animals have not been cleaned up. They have been left to decompose and rot in front of our eyes, and this isn’t a new issue either.
The first of these animal corpses was reported during Welcome Week, and now in midterms, we are still facing this issue. Now, obviously, the university should be cleaning up these animals, not only because it’s extremely disgusting to have to see them when eating food, but also because it would simply be the most sanitary thing to do.
It would be extremely simple to just clean up these animals, but the campus facility has not. Subjecting us to this disgusting view, we also understand that the university could do something but refuse to. They have chosen to ignore the issue instead. Addressing this issue and preventing future incidents is not a complex task.
The overall straightforward solution is to install reflective windows campus-wide. Many of the university’s buildings boast large windows that pose a hazard to birds as they mistakenly fly into them, resulting in fatal collisions. Bird-safe windows, which are built specifically to help birds recognize the glass as an obstacle, can significantly reduce these accidents. This proactive approach would not only save lives but also demonstrate the university’s commitment to the welfare of the local wild.
While the immediate concern is the accumulation of dead birds outside Hubbell and other buildings around campus, this issue reflects a broader problem of negligence. Students and their families invest substantial sums of money into their education at Drake, expecting that these funds will contribute to a conducive learning environment. It is disheartening to witness resources not being allocated to maintain cleanliness and safety on campus.
The situation with animal corpses littering the campus calls for immediate attention and action. The university should prioritize the well-being of its students and the environment by promptly addressing this issue, cleaning up the existing carcasses and implementing preventative measures like installing reflective windows. By taking these steps, Drake can not only enhance its campus environment but also demonstrate its commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment and the resources invested by its community. We shouldn’t have to stand for this level of neglect on our campus.