Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Brian Renville" data-source="post: 39589" data-attributes="member: 256">Put your muzzle on when you walk in the door? Good grief.[h=1]Sioux chants could mean consequences at UND[/h]By <a href="http://www.grandforksherald.com/users/anna-burleson" target="_blank">Anna Burleson</a> on Aug 15, 2015 at 11:43 p.m.Email <a href="https://twitter.com/share" target="_blank">Tweet</a><a href="http://www.grandforksherald.com/register" target="_blank">Sign up for Breaking News Alerts</a>Continuing to play as UND/North Dakota wouldn't violate any NCAA rules unless fans continued to cheer for the Fighting Sioux and other schools complained about it.ADVERTISEMENT The NCAA passed rules restricting its members from using Native American imagery in 2005, and after a drawn out battle with tribes, lawmakers and university representatives, UND ultimately reached a settlement agreement and retired its Fighting Sioux name in December 2012. The school has played as UND/North Dakota ever since.But it's common knowledge in the Grand Forks area that the end of the national anthem at UND hockey games always ends with the crowd singing "the home of the Sioux!" and fans displaying the old logo are commonplace. If this continued and other schools complain, the NCAA told UND President Robert Kelley they could impose sanctions."(H)e was told—just as a friendly word—that if fans resumed using Sioux or Fighting Sioux, the NCAA believes it is possible that other schools might—might—complain and that, in turn, could result in sanctions," UND spokesman Peter Johnson said in the email.NCAA Associate Director of Public and Media Relations Gail Dent said via email if the Fighting Sioux chant were to continue at UND sporting events, the NCAA could investigate."Schools can be held accountable for their fans' actions/behavior at school events," she said. "Schools have also found ways to proactively deliver public address announcements and other forms of written and verbal messaging to their fan/alumni/student base to deter various types of behavior."Johnson said in an interview he considers this a friendly warning from the NCAA, and while the school will campaign to have the new nickname accepted by the public—whatever it is—there are no plans to limit what fans do, say or wear."The president has said pretty consistently that people can certainly wear what they want to wear and say what they want to say within the bounds of, well, the kinds of things you can say," Johnson said.No restrictionsIn September, a committee developed a plan to pick the permanent nickname, and another group subsequently gathered suggestions from the public and narrowed down a list of names for a public vote.Continuing to play as UND/North Dakota was initially removed by the committee in July, which triggered public outrage and <a href="http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/3818639-updated-rally-calling-undnorth-dakota-option-kelleys-immediate-resignation-set" target="_blank">plans for protests</a>. The same week that decision was announced, Kelley said he would consider putting that option back on the list for consideration, alongside Fighting Hawks, Nodaks, Sundogs, North Stars and Roughriders.With a public vote on the horizon this fall, Johnson said Kelley had reached out to the NCAA and was told "not selecting a nickname would not be a violation of the settlement agreement."Ralph Engelstad Arena general manager Jody Hodgson said the facility, where many UND games are played, would never restrict what fans do, say or wear in regard to Fighting Sioux merchandise.When asked if the arena would comply if UND was to follow any kind of restriction, Hodgson said it's too early to speculate."Given what I know about this situation, I can't imagine that ever happening," he said. "There are so many moving parts to this issue."Johnson said he also didn't think there would be conversations of that nature with Ralph Engelstad officials unless it involved very offensive language."But even now, you go to hockey games and things are said that folks would say are offensive, and there has never really been an attempt to curb that," he said. "There have been attempts by past administrations to suggest different kinds of cheers, for example, but I wouldn't foresee those kinds of conversations with the Ralph happening."Kelley said last summer that he would never limit what people wore on campus because he considered it a freedom of speech issue."My dad was a librarian, and my dad taught me at a very early age about the dangers of censorship," he told the Herald in May 2014. "I don't want to tell you what to read, I don't want to choose books for you, nor will I tell you what to wear."Once the public vote is held and a nickname is picked, a corresponding logo will be developed."We certainly hope people will gravitate toward that and embrace it," Johnson said.</blockquote>

Verification: What is the most common fish caught on this site?

Reply to thread

Recent Posts

Friends of NDA