Kernel Cobb: why does he exist, and where is he now?

When non-Cobbers think of Concordia, what do they think they think of? Is it the music program? The athletics programs? Or is it the massive, yellow corn cob mascot? Yes, the latter seems to be true, when people think of Concordia, they think of Kernel Cobb, its prestigious mascot and figure head.

The origins of Kernel are debated by many. Some state that back in 1893 students from Hope Academy, a local Lutheran school, used a chant calling the Concordia students “corncobs” helped create the mascot. Others claim Concordia’s Cobber origins stem from the cornfield that used to sit behind the boys’ dormitories. Regardless of the birthplace, Concordia students are, and have been since the 1900s, Cobbers. 

Not many people truly understand what it means to be a Cobber, as the term is rarely explained. One such person would be Linden Stave, a senior, and the host of Concordia’s own “Awe Shucks!” a talk show starring Kernel Cobb. When asked about who Kernel was or what he was up to, Stave only gave a small novella.

“I honestly have no clue what he’s up to,” Stave said. “He talked about going back to his old homefield where he grew up, which I was really curious about and immediately asked where it was located because what if there’s more of them, but he pretended like he didn’t hear me, which he does a lot. But really, who’s to say?”

This interview led to almost no new discoveries on Kernel’s origins. Stave also added some comments about Kernel’s demeanor.

“Kernel has a very commanding presence and is obviously very comfortable with himself,” Stave said, “I consider Kernel Cobb to be a good corn, one of the very finest plant-based Division III sports mascots the upper Midwest has ever produced.”

But where is Kernel now? In previous years he is often seen walking around campus, or crashing motorcycles at football games, but with the lack of any real sports seasons, what does Kernel do? 

Tor Kjartansson, a second-year student at Concordia theorizes, “He’s probably running from the campus turkeys, they can get pretty peckish.”

Again, just theories, no real answer on the true question at hand. Theories also appear in unexpected places. Not only are the Cobbers pondering on Kernel’s location, but students from other schools ask too. Josh Thompson, a third year student at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, shared his take on Cobb’s location.

“I think Kernel is with all the other mascots, planning their next move,” Thompson said, “or maybe preparing for Halloween.”

This might be the case, as Kernel has only popped up on campus a few times. He can sometimes be seen walking around campus, but as of late, his visits with the public are few and far between. With all theories present, the only real definitive answer to the big question can only be answered at the source. 

If you have any questions regarding Kernel, or messages you want to send directly to him, they can be sent to kernelcobb@cord.edu.