Photo courtesy of Fizz
Tragedy struck Franklin and Marshall College last week.
After several days of intense rainfall flooded the campus, improper runoff channels culminated in the appearance of a large pond behind the Roschel College House. Making the most of this cheap housing opportunity, especially in today’s economic climate, two mallards took a gamble and moved in. In just over a few days, these two feathered dreamers made that pond a home, and could frequently be seen gliding around the murky brown waters. Roschel and Weis residents could stare down at the ducks from their respective dorms and ponder how birds somehow had a more stable relationship than the majority of the student body.
However, as it often goes for young homebuyers, tragedy quickly befell these two. All it took was one weekend of scorching heat for the pond to dry up, and force the ducks to search for a home elsewhere. Gravel and cracked mud is all that remains of what was once a promising love nest.
Grief services are available at the counseling center. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your loved ones, and even those you barely tolerate, in this time of mourning. While we may never figure out where the Roschel Ducks are now, it’s comforting to know that F&M’s deferred maintenance and faulty construction planning impacts birds and people alike.
Fly free, our fowl friends.
Or waddle away. Uncertain on a duck’s preferred movement.
Sophomore Teagan Durkin is the Opinions Editor. Her email is tdurkin@fandm.edu.