3 legends every Miami University student should know

Stephanie Reid and Nick Hieber kiss under the Upham Arch in 2009. Legend states you will marry the person you kiss under the lantern inside the arch of Upham Hall at midnight. STAFF FILE PHOTO/2009

Stephanie Reid and Nick Hieber kiss under the Upham Arch in 2009. Legend states you will marry the person you kiss under the lantern inside the arch of Upham Hall at midnight. STAFF FILE PHOTO/2009

If you tread on Miami University’s official seal on the school’s main campus grounds, you may be sealing your academic doom.

That’s just one historical lore of the Butler County university, which is also one of America’s oldest higher learning institutions and the county’s largest employer.

Here are 3 legends every Miami University student should know:

A tour for incoming students around Miami University includes a stop at the university’s seal.

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1. Don’t step on the ‘great seal’ before an exam

Legend has it that if a student steps on the school’s “great seal at the hub” — known as the center of the Oxford campus — the student will fail their next exam.

These turtles are possibly the most popular wildlife on the Miami University’s campus. Although they are not real, legend has it that rubbing their heads will bring good luck and they get a good workout at mid-term and final exam time. They are part of the base of Tri-Delt Sundial located in Central Quad.

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2. But do rub a turtle’s head before taking a test

The Tri-Delt Sundial was donated by the Delta Delta Delta sorority and is located in Central Quad. It has been said that if you rub one the heads of the sundial’s copper turtles before taking an exam, you will receive an ‘A,’ according to the university.

Stephanie Reid and Nick Hieber kiss under the Upham Arch in 2009. Legend states you will marry the person you kiss under the lantern inside the arch of Upham Hall at midnight. 

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3. You’ve got a good chance of finding true love on campus

Perhaps the university’s most well-known tradition, Miami Mergers is a term for Miami students who marry other Miami students. Approximately 14 percent of all Miami alumni are married to another alum, and each year Miami mails a Valentine to merger couples and highlights the matches in university publications.

Legend has it that if you kiss your sweetheart at midnight while the lights are on in the Upham Arch at Upham Hall, you will eventually marry them, according to the university.

There is even merchandise available for mergers, and wedding locations on campus give booking privileges to the couples.

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