UND President Says Nickname is Opportunity

Classes start this week at colleges and unversities across the state. At the University of andam...  More »

Classes start this week at colleges and unversities across the state. At the University of andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/north-dakotaandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;North Dakotaandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt;, this could be the final school year where the sports teams are known as the Fighting Sioux. The State Board of Higher andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/educationandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;educationandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; has ordered the andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/fighting-sioux-nicknameandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;Fighting Sioux nicknameandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; and logo be dropped by next August unless members of local Sioux tribes give their blessing to the name. And the deadline to receive that permission is this October. Without a vote of approval from Sioux Indians, the Fighting Sioux name and logo will be retired. andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/undandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;UNDandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; President Dr. Robert Kelley says he considers the situation an opportunity for the university. (Dr. Robert Kelley, UND President) andamp;quot;This is a year of real opportunities for us. We're waiting to get the final direction from the State Board of Higher Education regardless of what that might be. We'll either continue traditions or start some new traditions depending on what the state board directs us to do. So yes this is an exciting opportunity, an exciting year for UND.andamp;quot; An effort to have the Sioux nickname put to a vote at the andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/standing-rock-ndandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;Standing Rockandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; Sioux Reservation has been blocked by the tribal council. Council members voted two weeks ago against bringing the question to tribal members.  « Less