If you’ve ever been to the G-wing after lunch, there is absolutely no possibility of missing the seagulls that scavenge the area, searching for students’ abandoned lunchline pizza. After a particularly scary incident where a seagull’s droppings nearly landed in my hair, I decided it was about time to get to know these birds.
The first seagull I spoke with was immediately on edge. When asked simple questions like “How are you?” and “What is your name?” the bird immediately took flight, abandoning its pizza crust. Looks like some seagulls are not so excited to get to know their student neighbors.
The second seagull I met was much more cooperative. While refusing to provide its name and age, this seagull did state the reason it enjoys M-A. “I just love people watching, everyone is so unique. I feel like all my friends look exactly the same,” the seagull said.
After my first successful interview, I was able to connect with many more seagulls. Buddy, who migrated down from Canada this past fall, expressed his love for the school lunch leftovers. “It’s just so delicious—10 times better than anything else up north,” he said. When questioned about the inconvenient amount of droppings his species leaves behind, Buddy accused humans of being hypocritical. “You guys leave behind tons of food and trash. Don’t act like you’re any better than us,” he said.
Just like students, seagulls have their own favorite school lunches. The M-A Chronicle concluded that the majority of seagulls prefer the pizza, with some looking out for the spicy chicken sandwich or leftover croutons from the salads.
However, not all seagulls are so particular. Brandie, a proud member of the local seagull community, has a much less restricted diet than some of her peers. “Honestly, I’ll eat anything,” she said. Her friend Gulla shared a similar sentiment. “Wherever there is food, there is me,” she said.
There is no way to pretend that seagulls don’t get a bad rap. They are annoying, needy, and often dangerous. Still, they are proud members of the M-A community, and it looks like they are here to stay.
