Blue Key students are responsible for managing Blaster while he's on campus, monitoring the public's interactions wit him to make sure the people and the burro have a positive experience, answer any questions and take photos. They also run with him on the football field and care for him on the sidelines in between touchdowns at home games.
They’re the Orediggers who keep the “M” on Mount Zion bright. They’re the ones running down the football field alongside Blaster every time Mines scores a touchdown. They’re the students who safeguard some of Mines’ longest-standing traditions and keep the Oredigger spirit alive. For 100 years, Mines’ chapter of Blue Key Honor Society—one of the oldest in the United States—has embodied that spirit, championing leadership, integrity and service.
Founded as an effort to boost school pride (primarily through a litany of pranks that have become university lore), Mines’ Blue Key chapter has become a campus mainstay. Today, members are stewards of signature pieces of the Oredigger experience while developing leadership skills and engaging in service opportunities that extend well beyond their time at Mines. Along with maintaining the “M” and caring for Blaster when he’s on campus, the group publishes the Prospector yearbook and sparks Oredigger pride at football tailgates and other campus events. Membership is also selective: Students must be in the top third of their class academically and have been enrolled at Mines for at least two years before they can join.
Being part of Blue Key gives students a chance to step beyond their usual circles and plug into the heart of campus life. That’s one of the things Connor Dunfee, the organization’s current M Chair, values most. “The work we do brings everyone together to participate in the traditions of Mines,” he said. “I’ve met so many wonderful people outside of my major and class because of Blue Key.”
For many, that sense of community is only one small part of the Blue Key experience. The leadership experiences students gain often prove to be invaluable long after they’ve graduated. Michelle Applegate ’05 credits her time in the organization as a foundational part of her journey into public service and leadership. She has spent her career in the energy and utilities industry but also serves on the Jefferson County Public Schools Board of Education and participates in other service roles.
“When I got out of college, it helped to solidify what has meaning and impact, and it’s important to continue to do acts of service, small or large, in the community,” she said. “That, for me, really set me on a course of all kinds of board work and service outside of a core job. I don’t think I would have done any of that had it not been for the foundation of Blue Key.”
Applegate said the organization planted those seeds of service early. “The treasure of Blue Key is that it teaches you about service at an age where it’s easy to serve because you’re doing things like Mines Activities Council and student government. You’re doing things like taking care of the M, which is a cherished symbol at that time in your life. It almost disguises service as a really fun way to do something cool and be involved and use your time, talents and treasures in ways that benefit your school,” she said. “But what it’s really doing is wiring you to say, this is something that is important. I’m taking care of something and I’m preserving something and I’m making sure that I’m leaving an organization better than when I entered it.”
Dunfee echoes that sentiment. “Blue Key presents a lot of opportunities to practice being a leader in so many ways,” he said. “For me personally, I’ve become much more confident. I’ve also better understood what style of leadership works best for me, and more importantly, how it can be channeled to best serve others.”
“Blue Key has helped me realize how important it is to put others first,” Dunfee continued. “Especially from my experience on the executive board, seeing the dedication and drive of my peers has really pushed me to work harder in all facets on my life each and every day, both at Mines and beyond.”
Applegate remembers feeling that same pull as a student. “Blue Key brought people in, welcomed them in, taught them how to be leaders, what it meant to run a meeting and why it was important to keep it going and carry on the traditions but also recognizing new ideas,” she said. “It was just a really great, welcoming community from a huge cross-section of the campus, and it was a lot of fun. I got sucked in by the fun and then I stayed because it felt really good.”
About Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing the talent, knowledge and innovations to serve industry and benefit society – all to create a more prosperous future.
