If you walked across Bristo Square during Welcome Week, you may have spotted someone wearing the costume of a large, furry, brown animal, wearing a lurid yellow hoodie, pastel purple dungarees, or a turquoise T-shirt. This was not in fact a practical joke, or a misplaced remnant of the Fringe, but the new mascot for the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA). On the ediunistudentsassociation Instagram, our new sabbatical officers debuted Dusty the Moose, with little further information provided, except for Dusty’s accompanying hashtag, #Doitforthemoose.
Moose as animals don’t have any specific connotations or traits; like an owl you would associate with wisdom but… what’s a moose?
When interviewing students about Dusty, International Relations student Finlay commented, “I assumed it was a stag – but then I was very confused to find out it was in fact a moose.”
Indeed, most students’ reactions to the moose was confusion. “Why a moose?” was echoed by every interviewee, with students observing that there was no clear connection to the University or Scotland. While moose did once roam freely in Scotland, they went extinct as far back as 1915 BC. Instead, several students remarked that a moose seemed much more relevant to Canada, the USA, or Scandinavia, with French and Art History student Cecelia reflecting that “moose as animals don’t have any specific connotations or traits; like an owl you would associate with wisdom but… what’s a moose?” Instead, students suggested a highland cow, or a stag, would seem a much more fitting mascot.
Why indeed a moose? A statement on the ediuniassociation Instagram stories explained that it was a homage to the moose head in Teviot Row House, hung up in one of its archways. According to legend, students who can successfully steal the moose head and take it further than a mile away from Teviot House will have their names inscribed on to a plaque by the head. In fact, on the Instagram story, EUSA claimed that such attempts had been made several times, including by students from the University of Glasgow. Yet clearly from students’ responses, this explanation for the choice of a moose has not been adequately circulated, with Electrical Engineering student Megat commenting that “EUSA would do great to explain the symbolism behind the animal.” Perhaps Dusty’s appearance is also ill-timed, considering that students will not be able to spot the original moose until Spring 2025, when Teviot reopens.
However, the question remains as to whether any kind of mascot is necessary at all. Some students liked the idea, describing the moose as “cute” or “funny”.
Megat argued that “they will definitely help to make EUSA appear less corporate and bureaucratic, which I think is really important, especially in non-political matters like helping students get settled, encouraging them to attend events and providing advice.”
Computer Science student Anastasia added that it “would help new students feel more comfortable” and History and Politics student Joe remarked that “it’s a fun way of growing the university’s brand, particularly with younger people and international students.”
In fact, Dusty was not born in 2024, with photos of the moose from EUSA’s Facebook page appearing in 2018 and 2019. Yet Dusty’s 2024 revival may be an attempt to address concerns that the student body feels distant from the very organisation that is supposed to represent them.
On the other hand, History and Politics students Yael and Charlotte both observed that introducing a mascot seems like an unnecessary attempt to “Americanise and commercialise” the University. History and English Literature student Nina explained that she felt the mascot ‘caters more to sports teams rather than representing other societies and the University as a whole.’ Furthermore, Italian and History student Ruth contended that “considering the amount of time it probably took university employees to decide on the moose, design the moose, find a costume, put someone in the costume and let them roam the streets of Edinburgh, I think it is probably a waste of time and resources, that should be directed elsewhere,” a sentiment that was repeated by several other students.
The direction that Dusty will go in remains unclear. Will he be a relic of Welcome Week, quickly retired as he was in earlier years? Or will he become synonymous with University of Edinburgh, a mascot that future students couldn’t imagine the University without? Like many other freshers in September, perhaps EUSA’s moose just needs some time to settle in and find their place. Yet while the University continues to fall in university rankings, perhaps the moose may not be the addition to campus that students are really looking for.
Photos by Andrew Perry via the Edinburgh University Student’s Association