Here’s a thought: should the Ramaz school logo be changed from a ram to a mouse? Recent sightings throughout the building may support that claim.

Beginning last school year, mouse sightings have been rampant and are increasing by the day. Ella Rabani ’21, one of the first to spot a mouse in the Ramaz Upper School building on January 30th, 2019, said she made complete eye contact with one when it crawled out from under the seating in the 6th floor lounge. Then, on the school’s annual college night on April 30, 2019, Gabby Schwartz ’21, along with more than a dozen parents in the room, caught sight of another furry rodent in room 703 while listening to a representative from Northwestern. “Basically, we were sitting in a college session and all of a sudden a mouse just pops out of nowhere but wasn’t running away,” said Schwartz. “It was just chilling in the room the whole time.” 

Other teachers and students say they have been deeply affected by the infestation as they suffer from severe phobia of the crawling creatures. One teacher was said to have almost cried when spotting one in class and other students simply find the surprise appearances creepy. Ryan Sands ’20 reflected on his traumatic encounter with “Ronaldo,” the pet name some students have given to (one of) the furry menacees terrorizing students around the building. “It freaks me out. Ronaldo is constantly squeaking at me.” Apparently, Ronaldo doesn’t have anthropophobia (fear of people) and is looking for playmates…

According to the school maintenance staff, the mice are probably attracted by all the garbage left on the floor and in the couches by the students. To deal with the issue, the maintenance staff have been placing traps underneath the seating in the lounges and in bathrooms. 

Some students have proposed ways to deal with an issue. One anonymous student suggested that students should “stop littering the school with half-eaten candy bars and soggy cereal bowls.” Not only will this help with the mouse infestation, but also with the overall cleanliness of the school. Studies say that it is proven to be easier to learn in a cleanly environment as opposed to one filled with garbage—and of course, mice.