With homecoming this week, it’s easy to think of the success of our football team and the overwhelming accomplishments of our research. But less frequently do we consider the arts and the creative excellence of North Dakota State students.

Since the days of the North Dakota Agricultural College, visual and theater arts have been a staple for life among college students.

In 1914, the Little Country Theatre was born. This student-focused organization allowed dramatics to take the stage of NDSU with thought-provoking, energetic productions. When Askanase Hall was erected and dedicated, Theatre NDSU flourished with its bigger stage and more room for larger productions and more intricate stagings.

Theatre NDSU has grown from its first production to “Peter Pan,” flying into Festival Concert Hall at the end of October.

Not only in theatrics but also in visual arts, NDSU has maintained a thriving community of student artists. With changing art styles throughout the 20th century came eager students ready to dedicate time to developing their artistry through painting, drawing and clay design.

Traditional figure drawing classes evolved into the cubist movement of the 1920s, until when Renaissance Hall was dedicated in 2004 to serving students within the schools of architecture and visual arts.

Within the school of music, students have been singing and playing their hearts out since NDSU was founded. Extensive choir programs, variety of instrumental groups and productions like madrigal dinners and the student opera exemplify the work NDSU has been doing with music since its foundation. Let’s not forget the Gold Star Marching Band, an excellent compliment to the Bison on the field.

Everyone’s favorite Spectrum section, Arts & Entertainment, hit the scene in 1971. What started as a weekly column by the NDSU Scholars program quickly became a sustained section in 1972, with its first editor Tom Sandvik.

The Arts & Entertainment section has always been dedicated to providing relevant content on campus and local events, including Theatre NDSU and the visual arts scene, but also student recitals, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, the opera and more.

Homecoming is a time of celebration: of our campus, our history and our student success. Cheering on our team can be easily accompanied by attending a Theatre NDSU production, seeing an art show or concert or even picking up a copy of The Spectrum, especially when students at NDSU have been cultivating the arts for centuries.