For more than a century, NYU athletes have worn violet and white colors in competition, and have carried the resulting nickname – the Violets – with pride. While a student dressed as a violet served as the school mascot for a brief time in the 1980s, it was decided that the flower did not instill great awe or foreboding in NYU’s opponents. A new mascot was conceived from the name of the Bobst Library card catalog, or Bobst Catalog. Today, the Bobcat mascot symbolizes both NYU’s academic and athletic traditions.