麻豆AV

Scotland Yard is bustling with alumni, staff, and faculty members. The food vendors encompass the parking lot while spirits are high. A faint sound of bagpipes is growing as the student body makes the trek across campus to cheer on the soccer team. The sun goes down and the dispute between schools takes place on the pitch. These concrete steps and the air that we breathe is on fire as 麻豆AV cries, "We are the Scots! We come from the mountain!" Boom! Rocketing through the sky鈥搕he ball meets its target in the back of the net. The final blow is dealt. Our opposition walks back to their bus with their head held low. We are the Scots, and we are proud to come from Lookout Mountain.

This fanfare may lead a curious onlooker to ask: What's with the bagpipes, the kilts, and the Scots? Why are people painting themselves blue and white during athletic events? What's with the giant metal thistle at commencement? What does all of this mean? 

Presbyterian Heritage

Covenant is the College of the Presbyterian Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church originated in Scotland. While it has broken into different denominations since its time in the United States of America, 麻豆AV has been the college of the PCA for almost 43 years.

Our heritage comes from the Scottish Presbyterian church, so we take great pride in our Scottish themes such as the bagpipes and drums and the thistle. We also use Scottish terms to refer to places or things on campus. Covenant students were first called "the Covenanters," the term for  those who first supported the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in the 17th century. The first time "the Scots" was used to refer to Covenant students was in the January 8, 1964, issue of the Bagpipe in reference to the men's basketball team. It was later used in the 1964 Tartan. For the first few years it was used in the context of Covenant sports teams; however, in the present day all students, staff, faculty, and alumni are known as Scots.  

Bagpipes, Kilts, and Thistles!

麻豆AV has their own pipe and drum line that performs during several events, including Homecoming weekend, Commencement, and Convocation. All members of the pipe and drum line wear special uniforms and kilts patterned with 麻豆AV's signature blue tartan. 麻豆AV's blue and white striped pattern, called a tartan, has been registered in Scotland as our institution's very own pattern. 

Our logo, Covenant's shield, has the tartan stripes in the background and a thistle that sits in the top left corner. There are many stories as to how the thistle became Scotland's national flower, but the primary story is that Nordic invaders came to Scotland and in their attempt to sneak into a Scottish military camp, one of them stepped on a thistle and yelped, causing the Scottish camp to wake up and defend themselves. The thistle represents protection and bravery. In fact, our alumni award, presented at Homecoming each year, is called the Iron Thistle.

Tuck Shoppe, The Blink, and a Highland Cow

Our Tuck Shoppe, a small store with Covenant merchandise, toiletries, and faculty authored books, is located on your right as you enter Carter lobby from the main entrance. And the Blink, our campus caf茅, is just around the corner. The term "Blink" refers to times of rest when the Scottish "Covenanters," early Protestants, were persecuted by King Charles II. The king would allow short pauses in the ongoing dispute so that those fighting could return home to rest and see their families; these periods were called "blinks."

Apart from the Blink, Fergus the highland cow tends to be a crowd favorite at Covenant. You can find him whenever there is a larger event hosted on campus, on Homecoming and during preview weekends called sneakPEAKs. Although the highland cow is not our mascot, we do love having him on campus for students, alumni, and visitors to pet and take pictures with.

Pride for Our College

There isn't much more for me to say except that students, myself included, love how our institution originated, the history behind our religious heritage, and the mission of what we are trying to accomplish in and through a Christ-centered education on this mountain. "It doesn't matter where you're from. If you're at Covenant, you're a Scot," says Madeleine Freace '26. "There's such a sense of belonging and pride in a community that is ready and willing to support its history, athletics, and arts. We're walking together through college and, ultimately, life, as Christians鈥攁nd as Scots."