For many mechanical engineers of the Cornell College of Engineering, 125 Upson Hall is a home for academic advising. But in addition to advising resources, the room is also a space for MechE students to connect with their community and discover the magic of two small, pink, glow-in-the-dark creatures: axolotls.*
From their first day in the MechE advising office, the two axolotls — named Axle and Throttle — have made it big.
“Call them the unofficial mascots of MechE,” said Ashley Blank, assistant director of undergraduate affairs in the College of Engineering.
The axolotls have built a powerful community, Blank said, made advising welcoming to all students and created a culture that makes the MechE advising office home for so many, whether for academic assistance or a good smile after a long day.
The Magic of Axle and Throttle
Blank is the reason there are axolotls on campus today. She comes from a background in elementary education, which influenced her decision to bring a pet into the office.
“I found it pivotal that we had some sort of classroom pet during that time,” she said, referring to her time in elementary education.
When Blank was searching for a unique pet to welcome students into the MechE advising office, she looked to her good friend in Rochester, who breeds axolotls.
Just like that, the magic of Axle and Throttle was born. Each axolotl has its own personality that it brings to the office.
“Axle follows my finger — I think she thinks it's a worm — and it was so fun to just watch her swim around,” said Diya Mehta ’26, a mechanical engineering student. “Throttle is just a silly guy who just floats up at the top most of the time, but he occasionally decides to get zoomies.”
Although the two amphibians are separated by a glass barrier to avoid competition and breeding, they like to interact with one another through the glass on occasion.
“She's [always] kind of digging at the bottom of the barrier to get to Axle,” Blank said about Throttle.
A Look Into the Office
Colorful lights, plushes of axolotls, pictures everywhere and a giant tank garner the MechE advising office.
Each year on Feb. 1, the office celebrates National Axolotl Day, Blank said. The office makes axolotl-themed goodie bags for students that highlight the importance of the axolotls to the MechE community.
Another important part of the office culture includes maintaining a weekly fun fact board about the axolotls, inspired by a student worker in the MechE office, according to Blank. It also acts as a space for students to express themselves. The discussion board has even included polls, “would you rather” questions and student doodles of Axle and Throttle.
More than Mascots
The axolotls have drawn in many students who would otherwise not have spent time in the MechE advising office, according to Blank.
“The Mechanical Engineering community is fairly tight-knit, especially with all the classes we have together until senior year, but the axolotls have given us so much more of a community,” Mehta said. “I used to come by just to see them, and even if I was stressed or worried, just seeing them with their derpy smile made me smile.”
Axle and Throttle have not only drawn attention from MechE students, they have made an impact across campus and beyond.
Cornell Days was huge for the axolotls, Blank said, with tour guides peeking in throughout the day, and people being really excited to go see them.
“A faculty member didn't believe they existed until he came in,” Blank recalled. “He was like, ‘Wait, really?’ Like, they're animatronic or something.”
The axolotls’ magic extends outside of the tank. There are inflatable costumes of the axolotls that have been worn all around by members of the advising center. Pictures detail their many adventures, including in MechE classrooms, to brighten students’ days.
Axle and Throttle have even inspired engineering projects. Last year, one club on campus mimicked the design of a robot after Axle and Throttle, Blank said.
“It's like I said, it's grown leaps and bounds further than I ever expected it. And I'm just really happy that they kind of grasped onto that idea”
Axle and Throttle are not just office pets — they are a vital part of many students’ Cornell experience.
Each year during the department’s graduation, the inflatable axolotl mascots attend and take photos with the graduating students. Numerous pictures of families with these inflatables are now displayed around the office.
“I had one student last year during graduation, they were like, ‘hey, you know, can my parents come by and see the axolotls?” Blank said. The student joked that her dad was more excited to see the axolotls than to see her walk across the stage.
“It's a very cool thing, and it's been bigger and grown larger than I ever expected it to,” Blank said.
