North Dakota State University to become Yeehaw University

President Dean Bresciani, Sen. Kevin Cramer participate in unanimous vote

GRAPHIC BY CASSANDRA TWEED | THE SPECTRUM

In a recent meeting between North Dakota State President Dean Bresciani, the NDUS school board and North Dakota state officials, the decision was made to change the university’s name to Yeehaw University in place of North Dakota State University.

The vote for the change was unanimous and highly favored by Bresciani and Sen. Kevin Cramer.

“Changing to Yeehaw University brings us back to our Western roots,” Bresciani commented. “And now I can finally bust out my boots, vest and Stetson hat.”

The marketing team at NDSU will be busy over the summer months preparing to douse the incoming freshman class with Yeehaw University apparel in order to acclimate incoming and current students to the new name.

As for what will happen to the beloved Bison Nation, it will see little change.

The mascot of the university won’t change because Bison were a major feature in North Dakota’s rural history, so Bison pride will not fall by the wayside.

“Changing to Yeehaw University brings us back to our Western roots,” Bresciani commented. “And now I can finally bust out my boots, vest and Stetson hat.”

President Dean Bresciani

As for the “yeehaw,” it is said to bring a new sense of pride to the university, according to Bresciani.

“Yeehaw” is a saying unique to cowboys rather than opting for a generic name such as North Dakota Cowboy University, which was one of the names considered.

Another reason for the change was to gather donations from those in the upper echelon, such as the Dallas Cowboys, though this was not outwardly stated.

During the meeting, Cramer remarked, “I think this is a big change for the university, as well as the state of North Dakota. I expect only positive results from this change.”

Despite this claim, there has been some backlash from students on campus and long-term residents of the state.

“I have lived in North Dakota my whole life,” super senior Billy Kidd commented. “The name change is a disgrace to the university and cowboys alike. Once a Bison, always a Bison … of North Dakota State University.”

Some students even went as far as to withdraw their acceptance to the university. Incoming freshman Bill Buffalo stated, “North Dakota State University was my first-choice college, but once the news broke about the change to Yeehaw University, I withdrew and opted for South Dakota State University instead.”

Though there have been some negative reviews among campus, several students have been accepting of the change.

“My family roots are with cowboys,” Hatfield McCoy commented. “Going to a school that embraces the cowboy culture makes me proud of where I come from.”

The name change is set to take place in the following academic year or 2019-2020.

Leave a Reply