Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) will select a mascot for the first time in the college’s history, with students, faculty and staff voting on the choices.

The list of suggestions is being narrowed from a field of 174 names with Panther, Patriot, Tiger, Lion, Eagle and Spartan among the choices.

College mascots are traditionally associated with sports teams, but GPTC officials said they also reflect and incite a shared school spirit that connects students, alumni, faculty, staff and others associated with a college. Discussions are ongoing about how the mascot will be used at GPTC.

“We are excited about the possibilities and look forward to building new traditions with GPTC students, alumni, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities,” said GPTC president Jabari Simama.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, has nine centers of learning in DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale and Morgan counties. GGPTC currently has more than 5,000 students enrolled in diploma or degree programs and more than 9,000 in adult education classes. Academic and Technical programs at Georgia Piedmont Tech cover more than 136 different occupations. For more information, visit www.GPTC.edu.