Alex Bertsch- Recently, I have heard a lot of negativity about the Sundogs nickname. People have treated it like it is a joke, however what more is a nickname than a joke. The best nicknames all began as jokes and ballooned into statements of pride from there, and those that try to be founded in pride, come off as flat and boring.

As an example, just look at the nicknames of some other schools with memorable nicknames, names like the Rainbow Warriors of the University of Hawaii, or the University of Delaware’s Fightin’ Blue Hens. When the University of Akron formed a committee to choose a nickname and a mascot they decided on the Zips, named after their mascot Zippy the Kangaroo.

Even the Fighting Sioux nickname started out as a joke with the Sammy Sioux logo. Nicknames are a joke, and rather than pick something bland and boring like Fighting Hawks, I’d rather have something interesting to throw my support behind.

Nick Sallen- Of the final nicknames options that we could vote on, Sundogs was not only the most original, but also the most creative. The Roughriders and North Stars have been used by high schools or an NHL team. The other final options are generic and unimaginative. Voting for the Sundogs is the least repulsive nickname. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me what the nickname is. It won’t affect my level of pride surrounding UND. I’m just happy all this nonsense is going to end soon.

Alex Stadnik- I chose Fighting Hawks because I thought it was the best choice given to us. Obviously, UND is going to stray away from any Native American imagery, but I think if handled right, the Fighting Hawks could be a logo that fans and I can get behind. I considered a corgi in a sun hat or bringing back a beloved Minnesota hockey team, but at the end of the day, Fighting Hawks seemed like the right way to go.

Sean Cleary- None of the new nickname choices appealed to me in any special way. That being said, I still felt compelled to choose one of the options. I voted for the Fighting Hawks because I thought it sounded the best; there wasn’t much deep thought behind the choice. Any of the nickname options other than the Nodaks would be fine by me.            

Nick Nelson- I grew up as a Sioux fan and I often catch myself referring to UND athletic teams as “the Sioux” because of the strong history with the university and the Grand Forks community. I’m proud of my time at UND. With that, it is long overdue that the “Sioux” era at UND will finally be put to rest with a transition to a new nickname. In the area, the legacy of the Minnesota North Stars has lasted far beyond their transition to becoming the Dallas Stars. Given the exceptional caliber of student athletes at this university, I feel it is fitting that UND take up the mantle of the North Stars.