At Smith College, Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table—Even the Squirrels

You know them.

You love them.

You’ve probably had food stolen by them.

They’re the legendary squirrels of Smith, and thanks to Chloe Dyehouse ’28 and the rest of the Smith College Equitable Seating Association (ESA), they no longer have to forage for a seat to enjoy their culinary contraband.

Described as being “run by squirrels, for squirrels” with the goal of “a better future where all species have seats,” the ESA designs, builds, and places squirrel-sized picnic tables around campus.

The ESA began as a joke between Dyehouse and some friends in September 2024. “We loved watching them run about while we ate lunch and envisioned them eating lunch alongside us on [their very own] picnic tables,” Dyehouse recalls. As the semester progressed, so did the idea. Dyehouse reached out to Drew Palmore, shop supervisor for the Hillyer Hall Woodshop, to pitch the idea. Palmore was immediately on board and provided instruction and support as Dyehouse crafted her first table using scraps from the woodshop.

Since the first table was placed behind Seelye Hall a month later, Dyehouse has constructed several more that have found homes by Neilson Library, Northrop and Gillett houses, the quad, and Dewey Hall.

The tables may have been made with squirrels in mind, but the positivity they provide spans species: Passersby often squeal with sheer delight at the sight of a squirrel enjoying acorns, birdseed, and other delicacies while seated at the tables crafted especially for them.

“The reception has been wildly more positive and widespread than any of us expected,” says Dyehouse, who notes that the ESA’s Instagram page regularly receives photos and videos from Smith community members who have seen squirrels using the tables. “On many mornings, I pass the table across from Neilson and see acorns and crackers piled high by other Smithies who love the table.”

With such a positive reception, one can’t help wondering: will the ESA expand into creations for other furry friends around campus? It’s an idea that’s definitely on the (picnic) table. Chipmunk-sized tables have been discussed, but after the umbrella on the table outside of Dewey succumbed to the winds of western Mass., Dyehouse would also like to improve umbrella construction as a future ESA project.

While the picnic tables are a welcome addition to campus, their presence doesn’t mean that squirrels limit themselves to enjoying the food that’s left for them there. As reported by student newspaper The Sophian, the squirrels have been spotted pilfering everything from bagels to candy bars to pancakes to cookies; it’s such a common sight that getting something stolen by a squirrel is practically an unofficial Smithie rite of passage. Dyehouse herself has had several memorable interactions, but her favorite is when she saved a squirrel outside of her house from eating tinfoil. She used what she learned during her trial-and-error experiences luring squirrels to the ESA’s picnic tables, grabbing a sleeve of Ritz crackers from inside and eventually convincing the squirrel to trade the tinfoil for a cracker.

“What a win!” Dyehouse says of the encounter, adding that the foil only had a few small bites taken out of it once the trade was made. “I felt like a superhero.”