Minds at Mines – Myths from campus

Myths are stories that people tell in order to make sense of their surroundings. It also helps to understand the world around us and makes life a little more interesting and fun. Colorado School of Mines has been around for a long time and is full of tradition. From ghosts to girls, from explosives to nerds, myths and stories can often be heard around the campus. So, Minds at Mines asks “What are some outrageous stories/myths you’ve heard about the Colorado School of Mines?”

I’ve heard a couple of stories. Supposedly there was an engineering student who was determined to write a decent essay. So he promised himself that he wouldn’t leave Stratton Hall until he had accomplished his goal. Some say he never came out and his ghost still haunts the top floor. And if you are unlucky enough to see him roaming around, you might just hear him asking, “Why does it matter if I use passive voice!!!!”
The next story I heard, is based in some sort of truth. You can ask Dr. Shorey if you don’t believe. A long time ago there used to be a mine shaft a few feet away and several hundred feet from what we now call “Q lot”. Somehow there was a mining catastrophe and many miners died. Some say that if you go out there on Halloween night you can hear the ghosts of the mine. Although I have yet to hear anything!
Jordan Francis- Sophomore

I’ve heard many myths, but three stand out in my mind.
1. People think that a lot of students commit suicide at this school. But this is not true.
2. Another myth you might have heard, is that this school is made up of a bunch of nerds. Yes, we are very smart, but not all of us are nerds! Don’t believe me, look at our athletic program. Most of them are top in the Nation. Also, plenty of other students participate in awesome (non-nerdy) activities. Some of these activities include; rock climbing, skateboarding, slack lining, tubing down the creek, etc.
3. Girls are like parking spaces, “They’re always hard to find.” But this is also untrue. I’ve been around plenty lovely ladies, especially in res life. Over the years the percentage has gotten better. Granted it’s not like CSU or CU but it’s better than what people say it is.
Juan Beltran- Senior

So I think Bradford is haunted. I was standing in the stairwell, talking to some residents, when the door from the second floor opened and slammed shut. There was no wind and no one in sight. I’ve also heard around that during quiet study hours, voices can be heard but the source of the voice cannot be found.
Kylie Fink- Junior

I’ve heard a pretty outrageous story and am not sure how true it is. Back when the rivalry between CU-Boulder and Mines was more prevalent. CU- Boulder tried to play a prank on Mines. It is said that a couple of students tried to blow the “M” off the face of Mt. Zion. I’ve been told two versions. Some say the explosive went off and others say it didn’t. Anyhow, we caught the guys and shaved their heads and sent them back up to Boulder. In the end we went back for a little pay back and blew up one of their statues.
Scott Roman- Sophomore

First off, I’m not sure if it is a child or an adult, but many say the Coolbaugh house is haunted. Some say if you drive by at night around a certain time and look up into the window you can see her looking out.
I’ve also heard that Coors used to have a main line going from the company to the school. The underground pipes lead to the fraternities and the I-club. This was about 10-15 years ago, and students were able to serve themselves from the tap at anytime. Most of the pipes lead to Sigma Nu and the taps are still up there today, but they are dry now. In the basement of Maple, there is a door that leads to some tunnels. They either led to Coors or ran throughout Golden.
Stephen Hughes – Facility Management.