Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/431204
FEATURE Joshua Baskey '15, Charlotte Campus Student Government Association president and food service management major, helped lead a social media campaign on the Charlotte Campus to capture students' thoughts regarding what it means to be a Wildcat. He says, "I've always been very proud of my education and my time at JWU. Getting to help define what it means to me and our student body was a very special opportunity." A spirit mark at each campus emphasizes the four pillars of the Wildcat Way and various endeavors on campus will promote it. As this movement continues to gain traction, the Wildcat Way will become a familiar mantra within the JWU culture as it is "embraced by the entire Johnson & Wales community: our students, our staff and our faculty," says Providence Campus President and Chief Operating Officer Mim Runey, LP.D. THIS IS THE WILDCAT WAY What does it mean to be a Wildcat? Last year, Student Involvement & Leadership, Athletics, and New Student Orientation staff from all four JWU campuses set out to answer this elusive question. Since both teams are deeply invested in student engagement, they asked JWU students, alumni, faculty and staff to verbalize their Johnson & Wales experience — to not only identify themselves as Wildcats, but to define the term. Thus began the Wildcat Way — a phrase that seemed to organically take root on each campus. After receiving feedback from all campus communities, staff identified four key descriptors that captured the Wildcat Way: pride, courage, character and community. According to Scott Lyons, director of Student Involvement & Leadership on the Providence Campus, "It was so impressive how many staff members and students joined the discussion to identify words that described the emotional connection they had to JWU and its Wildcat spirit."