|
Introducing the CVTC... River Otters |
Introducing the CVTC River Otters
After a lot of research, input, and creative work, we are filled with excitement and pride to say the River Otter is now the CVTC mascot! This animal embodies the engaging, collaborative, hands-on, confident, supportive, and smart aspects of CVTC. We think the river otter is a perfect representation of our college, students, alumni, and employees.
Now, we have an opportunity for YOU to get involved! We're looking for your creativity to help name our brand-new mascot!
This isn't just about picking a name; it's about giving our mascot a personality that resonates with all of us. Your ideas will shape an identity that brings us together and makes us proud. The mascot will serve as a unifying symbol for our students, employees, alumni, donors, and community for years to come.
As you brainstorm, consider what aspects of our college community you'd like the name to reflect. It could be the connections you've made, the events we've shared, or the spirit that defines us.
Naming Considerations
- Gender neutral
- Connectivity to CVTC past, present, or future
- Tie to our Western Wisconsin region
- Ease of pronunciation and recognition
Let's come together and unleash our creativity! Your ideas will shape the identity of our new mascot and become a part of our community's story. Get ready to make your mark and let's have some naming fun! Please suggest up to four names in the form below.
Why a Mascot, Why Now
Developing a College mascot after more than a century of existence may have you asking "why."
That answer is simple. It’s for our students. And their families. And our colleagues. And our alumni. And donors. And partners. It’s for our community, within our walls and outside.
We want to foster a full-college experience for our students. And a mascot is so much more than a physical or visual representation. It’s a symbol that brings together all the pockets of people who are positively impacted by the College.
A Brief History of a CVTC Mascot
While we are so proud to embrace the new CVTC River Otters mascot, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge and honor the history of mascots at CVTC. In fact, the River Otters are not the first representation of the College.
The 1970s and 80s saw robust on-campus student activity at CVTC. Sports included basketball, golf, volleyball, hockey, and bowling. The Tech Tiger was the CVTC mascot. We had a student hangout named the Tiger’s Den in the basement of the Business Education Center.
In a timeline that is unclear to us, the Tech Tiger slipped away, and the College went for several decades without a mascot.
Fast forward to 2018. A CVTC work team was assembled to evaluate, research, and relaunch a CVTC mascot. That team worked through a process, timeline, and potential rollout plan for a new mascot.
Unfortunately, that work couldn’t move forward, and the dream of a CVTC mascot went back on the shelf.
That brings us to 2023. Under the leadership and passion of Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia, we started to move forward with exploring a CVTC mascot once again.
Our Goals for a CVTC Mascot
In bringing together a cross-functional team, we determined four key goals:
Unity + Camaraderie
Foster College Affinity
Community
Engagement
Brand
Recognition
River Otter Characteristics
After months of research and collecting input from our CVTC community, a winner emerged: the River Otter! Its unique traits and proximity to our area made the River Otter the clear choice as the mascot of our College.
So, you may be wondering which traits of the River Otter aligned will with our college. Here are just a few:
- Engaging
- Hands-on
- Collaborative
- Agile
- Intelligent
- Charismatic
- Confident
- Flexible
- Social
- Energetic
- Reliable
River otters are playful, social creatures that rely on teamwork and collaboration to thrive. They also represent the natural beauty of Wisconsin's waterways and their importance to the region.
What's Next?
The excitement continues as we take the next steps in developing and incorporating our mascot into life at CVTC.
See the high-level timeline of what to expect:
September 2023
We unveil the official CVTC mascot and spirit mark
January 2024
The mascot character and name is revealed
May 2024
Our new mascot will make their first appearance to the community