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UTEP Ready to Celebrate TCM Day, the Campus’ Longest-Running Student Tradition

Last Updated on March 21, 2018 at 12:00 AM

Originally published March 21, 2018

By UC Staff

UTEP Communications

TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso’s longest-running student tradition, continues this week.

Painting of the M on TCM Day.
Painting of the M on TCM Day.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in various TCM Day events Friday, March 23. Team-building activities will take place throughout the day to challenge and engage attendees from throughout the campus. The daylong series of activities includes the Team Mining Challenge and the whitewashing of the “M” north of Sun Bowl Stadium. It begins with registration and a canned food drive at 7:30 a.m. at Magoffin Auditorium. 

TCM Day is celebrated on campus every March in observance of St. Patrick’s Day. The tradition began in 1920 when UTEP was known as the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy, or TCM. It is an annual rite of passage to initiate new engineers and geologists into the Order of St. Patrick, the patron saint of engineers. 

College of Engineering Dean Theresa A. Maldonado, Ph.D., will experience the long-standing University tradition for the first time this year.

“TCM Day is clearly an important tradition in the College of Engineering, and I am hearing from alums who are joining us from out of town for this day,” said Maldonado, who started at UTEP in fall 2017.

After registering, participants will attend the Coming of St. Pat, in which a senior engineering student who is voted by the Engineering Student Leadership Council creates their representation of St. Patrick. 

The day’s events will be preceded by a decorating contest. Organizations, departments and individual offices are encouraged to decorate front desks, hallways and other areas to celebrate TCM Day. The winner will display the "Not So Famous TCM Cup."

“TCM Day is a fun-filled experience of school spirit mixed with hilarious and long-standing traditions that will make students, faculty and staff proud to be Miners,” said Gabby Gandara, director of Engineering Student Services.

For more information and a full schedule of activities, visit tcm.utep.edu.