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Grand Forks\u00a0 (UND Sports.com)\u00a0 A majority of UND students voted for Fighting Hawks mascot design option \u201cZ\u201d, and UND President Mark Kennedy is ready to honor their pick.<\/p>\nGrand Forks\u00a0 (UND Sports.com)\u00a0 A majority of UND students voted for Fighting Hawks mascot design option \u201cZ\u201d, and UND President Mark Kennedy is ready to honor their pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur students have seized the opportunity to further define the Fighting Hawks identity, which will be a source of pride for UND fans for generations to come,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cThe initiative has been a student-led effort from the beginning, so it\u2019s only fitting that they ultimately defined its outcome through this vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Online polls closed Wednesday evening after staying open for two days. More than 2,300 students voted for what they found to be the best look. It\u2019s an important milestone in a months-long process to bring UND\u2019s new logo and branding to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the original committee to help narrow the scope, to the final vote being comprised of students, the University is showing that students\u2019 opinions matter, and that this is truly a student-led initiative,\u201d Erik Hanson, UND student body president, said. \u201cThe high amount of participation in a process like this at such a busy time of the year for students is something that we\u2019re very excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vote totals were as follows:<\/p>\n
Z \u2013 843<\/p>\n
X \u2013 775<\/p>\n
Y \u2013 684<\/p>\n
Associate Dean of Students Cassie Gerhardt says she appreciates the leadership students provided in the development and voting process.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur students\u2019 passion for UND and their desire to have a mascot build on and spread that passion will benefit UND at athletic competitions and other events,\u201d she said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to see it!\u201d<\/p>\n
A 17-person committee of UND students and staffers developed the standards for what comprised a Fighting Hawks mascot; Ohio-based graphic design company Rickabaugh Graphics delivered three 2-D designs for consideration.<\/p>\n
\u201cA room of 15 or so individuals can help guide the design process, but a true vote from the student body is necessary,\u201d said Kara Kohns, a student representative on the UND Mascot Committee. \u201cTheir vote provides this committee with the true answer of which mascot they want next to them while cheering on our student-athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kohns added that having a two-dimensional logo was just the beginning, and they tried to keep its strong yet simplistic qualities in mind while considering the three-dimensional design.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore detail went into the process of designing it than I ever would have thought,\u201d she said. \u201cOur mascot will let our Fighting Hawk come to life!\u201d<\/p>\n
Kyle \u201cBubba\u201d Schweigert, UND\u2019s head football coach, and Athletics Director Bill Chaves both expressed excitement upon the conclusion of the vote. They\u2019re both ready to see how a mascot can connect with the Grand Forks community and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited about having a mascot,\u201d Coach Bubba said. \u201cI believe it will be a great addition to the game day experience at all of our sporting events and it will help us brand and market our University. And, that\u2019s not only on game days, but at University events in Grand Forks and across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn collegiate athletics, having a mascot has proven to be a valuable tool,\u201d said Chaves. \u201cThroughout my career, I\u2019ve seen mascots connect fans to a team on so many different emotional levels, whether you\u2019re a five-year-old or long-time, season-ticket holder and I\u2019m thrilled that we\u2019re adding one here at UND.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hanson expanded on the idea of further building the Fighting Hawks brand, saying this decision on the mascot is a way of moving forward with UND\u2019s athletic identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this point it\u2019s about how we build that brand, how we make sure that our athletic teams have a common brand and identity that\u2019s recognizable not just here, but across the country,\u201d he said. \u201cThis really puts the 2-D logo into a form that can interact with students, the community, and be something that is the brand champion of UND.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea for developing a mascot extends to last year when President Kennedy formed the\u00a0UND Game Day Experience Committee<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a group of UND Alumni searching for ways to enhance the Fighting Hawks fan experience. By January, a taskforce led by students brought the development process to fruition, along with the UND Mascot Committee.<\/p>\n The creation of the mascot has been financially supported by specific contributions from alumni. Members of the mascot committee have told\u00a0UND Today<\/em>that no state or student funds have been used, and North Dakota Athletics will handle maintenance costs once the mascot is hatched.<\/p>\n