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President's Message
Paw represents Bearcats' universal language
It has been said that "love is the universal language." I submit to you, fellow Bearcats, that the Bearcat paw print is also a universal language, much like love. Northwest is often and aptly described as a family, and I challenge you to always be on the lookout for Northwest's universal symbol.
How often have you struck up conversations, or even friendships, based on the universal symbol of "the paw?" It could be right in your hometown or halfway across the country, but the paw is universally recognized and understood. You might be at an airport far from the rolling hills of northwest Missouri, driving down an interstate highway, at a church or school function, but the paw always makes an appearance on a hat, shirt, car window or keychain.
How many of you use this special opportunity, the appearance of our beloved paw, to forge a new relationship? Do you stop the person wearing that Bearcat shirt at the grocery store and make a connection? Or, do you let the opportunity to reconnect with Northwest pass you by? The bond already exists; all you have to do is seize the opportunity. There's no easier way to have an instant connection with a total stranger than to spot the paw and strike up a conversation.
As president of the Northwest Alumni Association, it is indeed an honor and privilege to wear the paw and to represent the thousands of alumni who are part of the Northwest family. I encourage you to constantly be on the lookout for the paw and continue to grow our family.
Sincerely,
Amy Willits Harlin '95
President, Northwest Alumni Association
