5 things you didn’t know about dragons
MSUM arguably has the coolest mascot of all time: The Dragon. But how much do we really know about this mysterious and mythological creature? Keep reading to find out 5 things you probably didn’t know about these amazing creatures.
1. Not all dragons breathe fire.
It’s true! According to Norse mythology, some dragons were known to breath ice instead of fire. Living on the frigid MSUM campus it can sometimes feel like our mascot Scorch breathes ice; however, he is a fire breathing dragon, here to keep us warm on the coldest campus in the country.
2. Dragons are hard to find.
In most mythology, Dragons are known to live in far away, and hard to reach places like in the deep sea, caves, or on mountain tops. However, to find a dragon at MSUM all you need to do attend any sports or campus-wide event. That’s right! We have the rare Scorch dragon, who’s natural habitat is the MSUM campus.
3. Dragons are nice, but sometimes bad, but mostly nice!
Asian folklore and mythology viewed dragons as valuable creatures who were praised for their magic, beauty, fortune, and wealth that they bring. However, according to western mythology, dragons are viewed as monsters, who bring death and suffering. Since the fire breathing dragon statue on campus was donated by a Chinese restaurant, I choose to believe in the fortune and wealth kind of dragons.
4. Dragons are real (kind of).
Many real reptiles have been named after dragons for their dragon-like features. The most widely known is the Komodo Dragon, which is a large, aggressive creature that uses its poisonous saliva to wound its prey. Other real like “dragons” include the frilled dragon, which has an expandable frill around its head, and the Flying Dragon, which only grows to be 12 inches long and has flaps on both sides of the body which look like wings.
5. MSUM wasn’t always The Dragons. (GASP!)
In the days of yore, MSUM used to be known as the Pedagogues (what?). A Pedagogue, or Ped for short, is a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one (Ew). Knowing that MSUM started off as a teacher’s college, this makes sense. However, after the fire that burned down Old Main in 1930, they signified the campus’s “rebirth” by changing their mascot to The Dragons, as they were being reborn from the ashes. Good choice!
Leah Schmitt
Poject Manager/Writing Intern
Major: Marketing and Communications