'Mining Minds' Special Lighting to Honor 100 Years of TCM Day Tradition

Last Updated on March 09, 2020 at 12:00 AM

Originally published March 09, 2020

By UC Staff

UTEP Communications

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 13, 2020, in honor of TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso's longest-running tradition.

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 13, 2020, in honor of TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso's longest-running tradition. Photo: JR Hernandez / UTEP Communications

This year marks TCM Day’s 100th anniversary. The event is celebrated each March around St. Patrick’s Day. It dates back to 1920 when UTEP was known as the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy, or TCM. It started as an annual rite of passage to initiate new engineers and geologists into the Order of St. Patrick, the patron saint of engineers.

Team-building activities are scheduled throughout the day to challenge and engage participants. The daylong series of events includes the Team Mining Challenge and the whitewashing of the “M” on the mountain north of Sun Bowl Stadium.

For a full list of the day’s TCM festivities, visit the TCM Day website.

“Mining Minds” is an iconic piece of public art installed in 2010 to enhance the UTEP campus. At night, orange lights illuminate the steel structure while light from LEDs emanates from the perforated “ones” and “zeroes” at each end of the pick.

On special occasions, including historic dates, major annual milestones and to celebrate special accomplishments, the pick is illuminated in blue and orange. Learn more about the sculpture and its artist at utep.edu/miningminds.