With the recent name change to Tennessee College of Applied Technology, many have begun shortening the name to “TCAT”. After hearing the phrase “TCAT”, an idea formed to create a t-Cat mascot to represent the school and its 14 programs of study.
Director Summers presented the idea of a mascot to the instructor and students in the Computer Graphics Design (CGD) and Drafting & CAD Technology (DCT) programs for their input.
Interested in the project, Charlie Dicus, a DCT student, doodled t-Cat into a notebook while on a lunch break at school. His instructor, Regina Wyatt, took a liking to the drawing and suggested that he collaborate with another student, Jacob Hicks, to further develop a mascot for the institution.
Dicus created the original designs and sketches including the idea of t-Cat being an anthropomorphic cat surrounded by various technical tools. With input from his classmates, Dicus arranged the tools, which included a welding torch, laptop, and calculator, to represent the career clusters offered by our school.
No matter what surrounded t-Cat, Dicus knew from the beginning that books were a definite. According to Dicus, “The books, and to some extent the laptop, convey the message ‘this is a legitimate school that imparts viable knowledge to intelligent students.’”
Once t-Cat was drawn, Jacob Hicks, a CGD student, scanned the drawing into the Photoshop program. Hicks redrew t-Cat adding in small changes as they were needed. Hicks also pulled in the school’s new logo and positioned it in a manner that was appealing to the eye.
With the help of Dicus, a color scheme was selected that worked well for the design.
When the drawing and coloring of t-Cat was completed, students from throughout the student body submitted ideas for an accompanying slogan. Two final suggestions were selected. First, a formal slogan of, “Technical training at its Best.” And a second slogan to use for SkillsUSA marketing that reads, “This cat has skills.”
The creation of t-Cat was truly a team effort that involved several students and employees from across the programs offered. Our mascot, t-Cat, will be used on t-shirts and other items to promote the campus.
Summers noted, “Our faculty and students are able to do tremendous technical work. I am always amazed that if we can think something up, they always manage to make it happen!”
(Story courtesy of www.ttccrump.edu) VISIT THEM ONLINE to read more!