VGCC Unveils New Mascot Logo

On August 19, students at Vance-Granville Community College will start the new academic year with an official mascot for the first time. VGCC President Randy Parker called the May 5 unveiling of the new “Vanguards” mascot logo “a momentous occasion” in the college’s history. “The Vanguard mascot is a symbol of strength, leadership, service and readiness to face new challenges,” Parker said. “The word itself suggests innovation and staying in the forefront, which is where Vance-Granville wants to be.” Parker added that he looked forward to the new mascot playing a part in celebrations of the college’s fortieth anniversary, in 2009.

The idea for the mascot came from students, the president said. The process began when the college’s 2006-07 Student Government Association discussed the desire for a symbol around which students could rally. The SGA formed a Mascot Committee, which included then-SGA President Joan Ayscue of Henderson and future SGA President Ed Lyons of Louisburg. “The students wanted a mascot to rally behind, and after a great deal of work, they chose the name ‘Vanguard’ and the concept of an armored knight on horseback,” Parker said.

VGCC Board of Trustees chair Donald C. Seifert, Sr. noted that the Board considered the proposed mascot at its meeting on March 19, 2007. “We were unanimously supportive of it then, and we continue to be proud of our students for their work in creating the Vance-Granville Vanguard,” Seifert said. After the Board gave its approval of the concept, artist Grey Blackwell worked with VGCC staff to develop the logo. A native of Oxford, Blackwell is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s School of Design. Blackwell’s work has been featured in major newspapers, national magazines, television programs and online. He received the National Cartoonist Society’s Newspaper Illustration Award in 1998.

College officials hope to emblazon the logo on apparel and other items soon to encourage school spirit.