Santa Maria Sun / School Scene

Central Coast Tech High School unveils the Direwolf

BY ORCUTT ACADEMY SOPHOMORE MEGAN WHITE

As Central Coast Tech High School makes itself known on the Central Coast, so will its new mascot: the Direwolf.

Students chose their mascot after a school-wide discussion over student-submitted proposals. Central Coast Tech students illustrated and submitted ideas after the high school’s first parent-student meeting in February 2012, where administrators asked incoming freshman to create a school color, mascot, and logo.

THAT WOLF IS ON FIRE: Central Coast Tech High School’s new mascot, the Direwolf, was created and voted on by students. PHOTO COURTESY OF CENTRAL COAST TECH HIGH SCHOOL

Amy Jacobs, marketing and communications coordinator for the school, said because the whole mascot-creation process was done by the students, it brought a strong sense of unity to the school.

The group of designs was narrowed down to three: an Olympian, a phoenix, and a timber wolf, and then the students were asked to vote on their favorite. When a majority of the school didn’t vote for one option, the three choices were combined into one creature designed by Mandie Richardson.

“Direwolves are prehistoric wolves that lived during the Ice Age. They were used in mythology and have shown up in more modern works, like the Game of Thrones books and on TV,” principal Dan Neff said.

He said the students felt the Direwolf’s qualities—such as loyalty, strength, and “running in packs”—represented the school’s own characteristics and values.

The Direwolf was created and presented to the Lucia Mar Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 5. Interested future Direwolves can enroll now through March 29. For more information, visit ccnth.org.