Raider Red's student persona is kept a secret from the Tech community. Red is a public relations mascot who shakes hands with the crowds at athletic events and poses for pictures. He changes from boots to high-top tennis shoes for basketball games. Red once had a counterpart named Arena Rita, but she just didn't catch on. The name caught on and by 1936, the Matadors had faded into history, replaced by the Red Raiders.
Cotton bolls represent the area's strong cotton industry and the eagle is suggestive of our country.
It is made of red granite and stands 12 feet high. The class of 1936 gave the Victory Bells as their gift to Tech. They rang for the first time at the group's graduation. They rang all night the next fall after Tech beat TCU, keeping Lubbock residents awake. Thereafter, the ringing of the bells was limited to 30 minutes after men's and women's athletic victories and special occasions.