Archived News |

August 30, 2006

Come see ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥, feel the new spirit

Sometimes I marvel at what can be accomplished with enough dedication.

Tonight, ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥ will celebrate the birth of its new Warhawk mascot. This event represents not only the beginning of a new era for our school, but also the celebration of the efforts of so many constituencies in creating our new beloved bird. In developing the project from its infancy, University administrators took great pains in understanding the opinions of students, faculty, alumni and the community. Even naming the mascot — originally viewed as the exclusive business of Student Government — became a collaborative effort.

Because of this spirit of cooperation so pervasive in the development process, the celebration should involve an equally diverse set of actors. To be sure, faculty, students, alumni and other members of the ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥ community will be there. However, the party just wouldn't be complete without the presence of the regional community — after all, the community played as big a part in all of this as anybody. So, let me be the one to invite you: Come to our campus. See our new mascot. As you drive in, take a look at the new buildings. Strike up a conversation with a student, and you just might notice a little bit more youthful optimism than usual.

And when they unveil that new symbol of our great university, remember that it represents the culmination of so many efforts of so many people from so many backgrounds. Remember that this isn't just our mascot — it's yours, too.

PLEASE NOTE: Some links and e-mail addresses in these archived news stories may no longer work, and some content may include events which are no longer relevent, or reference individuals and/or organizations no longer associated with ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥.