Harvey Mudd College, a prestigious liberal arts college located in Claremont, California, prides itself on its unique and distinctive mascot. The official mascot of the college is a duck-billed platypus named "Stomper." Stomper embodies the spirit and values of Harvey Mudd College. Just like the platypus, which is an unusual and fascinating creature with a combination of features from different animal species, Harvey Mudd students embrace interdisciplinary learning and are encouraged to explore a wide range of subjects and fields. The choice of a platypus as the mascot is also symbolic of the college's commitment to innovation and thinking outside the box. The platypus is a creature that challenges conventional categorizations and expectations, much like the students and faculty at Harvey Mudd who are encouraged to question assumptions and explore new ideas.
These warts are inspiration for lots of our interesting architectural spots on campus. The story goes that when the Shanahan Center was designed, the architects took color samples of the warts around campus and used those to create the multi-colored tiles that cover the building.
If you go in blocks of 2 3 rectangles, starting by looking at the raised warts and then inverted warts, you can see that the raised warts spell MUDD and inverted warts spell WART in braille. Organized by five regions, the top-ranked schools were National Louis University in Illinois Midwest , Massachusetts Maritime Academy Northeast , Berea College South , Hobe Sound Bible College Southeast , and California State University-Los Angeles West.
The platypus is a creature that challenges conventional categorizations and expectations, much like the students and faculty at Harvey Mudd who are encouraged to question assumptions and explore new ideas. Stomper is an integral part of Harvey Mudd's community and culture. The mascot can be seen at various college events and sports games, showing support and boosting morale among students, faculty, and alumni.
Gotta Love Mudd, Warts And All
Hi everyone, this is Hannah Larson with another blog post for you!
Hannah Larson, HMC ’20
We love warts here at Mudd. No, not those warts you find on the bottoms of your feet after walking barefoot outside (although there are definitely people at Mudd who walk around outside without wearing shoes). No, we love those concrete square prisms that are placed systematically throughout all of our buildings.
Left: Sprague has long lines of windows bordered by warts running up the building. Right: The overhang outside of Kingston is held up by supports which are decorated with warts
Left: An Outer Dorm (Linde Dorm) has warts on the edge of the roof. Right: The overhang, support pillars, and roof edge of the Platt Campus Center are all covered in warts.
In fact, we love these warts so much that they became our unofficial mascot. In addition to our official mascots, the CMS (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) Athenas and Stags, Harvey Mudd has Wally the Wart, our friendly anthropomorphic square prism mascot who can be seen in various line drawings, waving Harvey Mudd flags or unicycling around. One prospective student for the class of 2021 even crafted a clay version of Wally for the admissions office!
Polymer clay Wally the Wart, crafted by prospective Mudd student
These warts are inspiration for lots of our interesting architectural spots on campus. The story goes that when the Shanahan Center was designed, the architects took color samples of the warts around campus and used those to create the multi-colored tiles that cover the building.
One wall in the Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning shows the multi-colored tiles representative of Mudd Warts
The Shanahan also has a pathway on the northern side that is lined with old warts from Thomas Garrett, the building that used to be where the Shan is now. This pathway is a cool way to preserve the school’s history and reuse building materials, but many people walking by aren’t aware of the warty implications.
Left: The pathway behind the Shanahan, leading towards the Founding Class Room and Admissions Office. Right: A close-up of some of the old warts, which also have plaques on them dedicated to different donors.
Our newest dorm on campus, Drinkward Dorm, also has a neat wart-themed architectural design! There are warts arranged on the sides of the building which, rumor has it, spell out a phrase in braille. Looking at one panel of Drinkward and using a newly downloaded Braille app, I determined that the warts and indented squares on the building spell out “MUDD WART”, an homage to our love for warts on campus. If you go in blocks of 2×3 rectangles, starting by looking at the raised warts and then inverted warts, you can see that the raised warts spell MUDD and inverted warts spell WART in braille.
Left: One side of Drinkward Dorm is covered in bumps and indents reminiscent of Harvey Mudd’s Warts. Right: A zoomed in photo of one panel of warts. Looking at first the indented squares and then protruding warts in braille will read “MUDD WART.”
The braille text underneath the English translation of “MUDD WART.”
Although I am personally a big fan of all of the warts and wart references we have on campus, there are definitely some people who don’t pay as much attention to it. If you’re one of those people, don’t worry about it; after all, we wouldn’t you to be a worry wart! 😉
Stomper's playful and friendly nature reflects the inclusive and supportive environment that the college strives to cultivate. In addition to its presence at events, Stomper has also become a beloved symbol of Harvey Mudd College. The mascot can be found on various college merchandise, such as t-shirts, hats, and stickers, which helps foster a sense of pride and belonging among the college community. Overall, the Harvey Mudd College mascot, Stomper the platypus, represents the college's commitment to interdisciplinary learning, innovation, and a supportive community. Stomper serves as a reminder for students and faculty to embrace their unique qualities and challenge conventional thinking, ultimately shaping them into well-rounded individuals prepared to make a difference in their respective fields..
Reviews for "The Harvey Mudd Mascot: A Symbol of Excellence and Achievement"
1. John - 2/5
I was really disappointed with the Harvey Mudd mascot. It looks like a strange hybrid between a mole and a robot, and it's not appealing at all. The design lacks creativity and it's honestly quite underwhelming. I was hoping for something more representative of the school's values and spirit. Overall, I think the mascot could definitely use some improvement.
2. Michelle - 1/5
I have to say, I find the Harvey Mudd mascot really off-putting. It's supposed to be a representation of the school's identity and it completely misses the mark. The costume looks cheap and the character itself is just awkward-looking. It's not something that I would want to rally behind or proudly display as a symbol of my school. I hope that they reconsider and come up with something more visually appealing in the future.
3. Alex - 2/5
I was really excited to see what Harvey Mudd would come up with for their mascot, but unfortunately, I was left disappointed. The mascot design feels uninspired and lacks personality. It's hard to connect with something that looks like a generic robot and a mole combined. I hope they take the feedback into consideration and come up with a more engaging and visually appealing mascot that better represents the school's vibrant community and spirit.
4. Emily - 2/5
I hate to say it, but the Harvey Mudd mascot is just not working for me. The design is strange and doesn't have any meaningful connection with the school or its values. It's a missed opportunity to create something that could unite the students and alumni in a symbol they can identify with. I hope they reconsider their choice and come up with something that truly embodies the spirit of Harvey Mudd in a more visually pleasing way.