Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm — and fiery — welcome to DigiPen Institute of Technology’s official mascot, the dragon!
The mascot image was unveiled on campus today and marks the culmination of a long and careful selection process that began more than a year ago, driven largely by the efforts of the DigiPen student community and its Student Senate leadership.
“The introduction of a mascot fosters and builds community among the student population by focusing on the positive characteristics and attributes that the mascot displays,” Marshall Traverse, DigiPen’s Dean of Students, said. “The DigiPen Dragon is fearless, intelligent, innovative, magical, and creative, just like our students.”
While DigiPen students and alumni have long enjoyed a sense of community built around the shared experience of the college’s unique academic programs, DigiPen senior and Student Senate officer Devin Jensen said the push for a mascot emerged from a desire to more easily unite all members of the college community — whether for e-sports, alumni networking, or general campus spirit and camaraderie.
“There definitely is a pride that comes with being a DigiPen student. … DigiPen is rigorous. It’s difficult. And you have to have a high level of passion and work ethic and ability to perform,” Jensen said. “[The mascot is] another thing that students can stand behind and say, ‘Yes, we are the DigiPen Dragons!’ And I think that it adds more strength to the community as a whole.”
Speaking to the campus this morning, DigiPen Founder and President Claude Comair said the selection of the dragon mascot was appropriate for several reasons, including the college’s founding date in 1988 — the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese lunar calendar.
“The dragon is very close to my heart,” he said. “I’m extremely happy and extremely thrilled to show you this creation. And I hope that you will adopt it and start making something out of it.”
Thank you to all of the students, staff, and faculty members who helped to make the DigiPen Dragon into a reality.
Long live the dragons!
