During lunch duty on Wednesday, Nov. 13, science teacher Danel Eitel witnessed and assisted in trapping a mouse in a cafeteria garbage can, coming to the aid of students eating their lunch.
“I saw a mouse bouncing across the middle of the cafeteria floor. The mouse was moving in my direction, and the students were starting to notice the mouse,” Eitel said.
Staff and students knew that active measures needed to be taken immediately.
“I found a small trash can located near the cash registers. A student eagerly took the trash can and quickly covered the mouse as it moved toward the café windows. Custodian Ronny then came in and took over. He slid a board under the trash can, and with much fanfare, managed to get the container and mouse outside for release,” Eitel reported.
This is not the first occurrence of the mouse at SWHS. Run-ins with the mouse bandit have been happening since last year, especially in the English department areas.
Over the summer, members of the English department had a chance to bond with a mouse friend.
“While I was doing some training/classwork, and setting up my new desk in my classroom, my mouse friend came in to check on me quite often,” SWHS English teacher Carmela Dahms-Lodge said.
For the English department, it was like watching National Geographic in real life, the mouse would make its appearance in the classroom, coming and going as it pleases, perhaps looking for possible remnants of food or edible items.
“It was at this time, we established some ground rules and built a mutual understanding. He won’t poop all over my classroom/stuff, and I will make sure he lives. So far, so good,” Dahms-Lodge said.
When students enrolled back to school, the English Department’s little Library Mouse friend not only brought excitement and entertainment to the teachers, but to the students too.
“Some senior football players, when asked to come see the mouse, seemed so startled it was as though they might jump into my arms in fear,” said Dhams-Lodge. “Some English teachers reacted differently, suggesting we should ‘kill it,’ while another teacher countered with, ‘Let ’em live!”
As the season changes, the mice are definitely getting comfortable. It is rumored that there may even be a multigenerational mouse family living in the halls, roaming through classrooms and hiding from the cold in the school.
“I’m quite new here, but I thoroughly enjoy the SWHS community…with the exception of the mice,” English teacher Stella Onochi said.
Most large, old buildings end up sharing their space with mice, especially during the colder months when animals move inward, searching for food, warmth, etc.
“Still, I’m surprised to see them, particularly when they clamber around teacher workspaces or dart beneath your shoe,”Onochi commented.
People are having mixed feelings about the mice while some say we should save them, others are taking a more negative view on our newest little SWHS members.
“True story, this week–it was a lost, wee baby mouse. Glad I didn’t step on it. For now, I’ll prop my feet up when lesson planning,” Onochi described.
The most recent sighting of the mouse was in English teacher Jude Knapp’s classroom.
“I think they are mocking us, running around here like they own the place. Them having babies makes it more difficult, no one wants to go to war against babies,” Knapp explained.
Even though the mouse had contradicting opinions upon its arrival in the school, the little creature encouraged conversations for office pets.
“Should we get ‘office cats’ or other working animals like a Dachshund or Chihuahua to keep the mice away? And if we’re going to consider these working office animals, I feel like a great big fluffy Bernese Mountain Dog isn’t too far removed as an option…,” Dahms-Lodge offered.
