It’s good luck to possess or find a golden fleece on campus. Its symbolism on campus is derived from our mascot's origin story: Jason and the Argonauts' Quest for the Golden Fleece. The myth is illustrated below by UWF alumnus Dylan Nadsady.
Jason was the son of a king who was usurped by his brother, Jason’s uncle. Jason grew up somewhere outside of the kingdom and returned when he was 20 years old to reclaim the throne. His uncle promised to return the throne to Jason if he brought him the Golden Fleece which was in the possession of another King in a different country: King Aietes of Colchis.
Jason and his band of Argonauts sailed with the boat “Argo” to Colchis, overcoming many obstacles along the way.
When they finally arrived, King Aietes told Jason he could have the fleece if he completed three challenges, all of which were designed to kill Jason. Jason worked with the King's daughter, sorceress Medea to complete the challenges.
With some magical help from the sorceress Medea, Jason successfully completed the challenges, retrieved the fleece, and upon his arrival back home was made king.
Little bits of this myth are woven into UWF’s culture. For example, our Homecoming concert is called ‘Colchis’, and if you look closely around campus, you’ll find references to boats (Homecoming boat race anyone?), voyaging (the voyager student-run newspaper), teamwork, and of course, the Golden Fleece.
It’s good luck to possess or find a golden fleece on campus! Keep your eyes open around campus to find a Golden Fleece of your own before you graduate.
You can download this Argie and the Golden Fleece coloring sheet. Fun fact: this image was the homecoming T-shirt design a few years back. Enjoy!
