It’s been seven years in waiting, but St. Thomas University finally has its mascot back; Tommy the Tom Cat.
Since losing the famed mascot in 2005, Nicole Pozer, who is Vice President of Student Life, decided it was time to revive him.
“We used to have a Tom Cat mascot, but he sadly fell apart near the end of 2005. Since that time, we have not had a physical costume,” she said. “I decided at the beginning of the summer that it was finally the time to introduce a new Tommy.”
Pozer says that school spirit was a major issue she wanted to address during her term and she thinks the mascot will help provide the spirit that has been sorely missing the last few years.
“School spirit not only needs to be present at a university, but it also needs an outlet to be channeled through,” she explains.
“A mascot gives students the perfect opportunity to channel and build their school spirit through.”
Pozer hopes that the new mascot will help make STU more recognizable not only amongst students but to those outside of the Fredericton area.
She adds that the mascot will hopefully become a comforting tool for students who may be feeling lonely throughout the year.
“It helps students realize that even if you find yourself feeling alone or different, we all have that in common. I hope that come mid-semester, students find a friend in Tommy.”
You can expect to find Tommy at numerous events throughout the year. He’ll try to be at every STU Athletic home game, “provided someone is there to bring him to life,” Pozer mentions. But he won’t be limited to just athletic events. Any other events that school spirit is deemed necessary, you can bet you’ll find Tommy on hand.
Tommy made his debut at this year’s cheer-off during welcome week where he was deemed a success.
He also has his own Facebook page where “students are encouraged to ‘like’ him and he will post updates regularly on where he’ll be.”
Tommy is described as not a big talker, but one of the most spirited people you’ll meet. He loves to dance, build up the crowd, and hang out around campus. Of course, Tommy’s main duty is to enjoy STU and make sure it’s students are too. He bleeds green and gold, you might say!
With Tommy now fully entrenched back on the STU campus it’s safe to say that school spirit will certainly be a lot more lively this upcoming year.
