Siouxperfan7

So I felt compelled to send Peter Johnson and Robert Kelley another email regarding my disappointment for changing the process and the importance of the new name getting at least 50% support thru the vote. Here is the email and his response: Mr, Johnson and Mr. Kelley, I have to follow up with another email to you. I just read in the Herald where you said that you "don't see it as a negative" that the procedure was changed. I respectfully disagree. (Along with the overwhelming majority of stakeholders that I have talked to and that have expressed their opinions publicly. The winner of this nickname vote has to get 50% support. That was the basis of the vote from the beginning. If no name reached that mark, there would be a runoff. What is the reason for a runoff if the reason you are doing it is not going to be obtained?!! This process has had its fair share of scrutiny, but there was one thing that was going to make it pure and truly fair. It was the vote. Now that is being changed and tarnished. The winner of the nickname vote has to get 50% support. If one of the 3 names wins with 38% of the vote, that would not be a good way to start out the era of the new nickname at UND. We need a name that at the bare minimum has the support of half the people that chose to vote. So I am asking you to reconsider the voting process that has been changed and have President Kelley either go back to the voting guidelines that were laid out weeks ago and just go with the final 2 in the next vote, or announce that if no name gets 50%, a third vote will be done with the top 2 names to ensure at least 50% will be reached for the winner. We need to do this right. TheUND stakeholders, it's fans, the community needs this process to be done right. This is the name of our beloved University that we all are going to live with for the rest of our lives. I am asking you to please reconsider the change that was made and make it so the winner has to recieve 50% of the vote. Thanks you for your time_________________________________________________ Thanks for the email. I appreciate the feedback on this, and I understand your perspective. It is true that I don't see adding the third option as a negative, given the slim margin that separated them. For me, the closeness of the votes made that a logical decision -- whatever names would have been in those positions. In fact, while I haven't shared what I voted for, I will share that I didn't vote for Nodaks. Again, I understand and appreciate your comments, and although you have already sent them to President Kelley, I am doing he same through this email. Peter

If I had a nickel for every time I said that during this process!!

OK, time for a push for Roughriders, or else we are going to be stuck with a lame name like Nodaks or even worse...Fighting Hawks!! Creative minds out there...need your help. Lets get a generic Roughrider script logo out there that we can post all over social media to get the word out to vote for Roughriders as UND's new nickname. NOt looking for a borrowed logo to sway voters like Fighting Hawks has done. Looking for a generic script logo that someone can whip up that simply says "UND Roughtriders" or "University of North Dakota Roughriders". I think it could go along way to sway some voters. I know there are people out there more creative than I could ever be to do this. Let's see what you got!!

Heard they are waiting till the day of (next Monday) so people don't lose it.

Side note, are we gonna see new green pants with the green jerseys for the "greenout game" this weekend?!

Maybe if the students knew that Kelly was secretly in favor of Fighting Hawks, they would change their minds about supporting it. Kind of reminds me of that Saved By The Bell episode where Buddy Bands were going up against Friendship Bracelets. Zack gives Mr. Belding a Buddy Band and instantly, everyone hates them and doesn't want to want something the principal endorses. Same think can be done in this scerio. Spread the word around campus...."Kelley wants Fighting Hawks."

The process was simple. All that needed to be done was follow through with it. Now, nobody knows if what is said this week will hold true after the next vote!! This is a gong show. (As if it already wasn't one already)!!

Keep sending those emails!!!

I got a response back from Peter Johnson saying he appreciated my email. The are listening people...please voice your concerns. robert.kelley@UND.edu peter.johnson@UND.edu

This entire process has been a ridiculous process. Everyone was relieved the voting looked to be very straight forward and acceptable. Now this happens!! Should any of us really be surprised at anything that happens at this point?

All 82,000 will be eligible to vote again. It is possible many didn't vote because they either didn't care, or they were expecting a runoff. Seeing Fighting Hawks may get more of the RR or Nodak supporters to vote. Why I don't understand is if 82,000 plus people registered their email to verify they were eligible, Why did so few vote? It's not like you had to go wait in line at a polling site. YOu could do it from your phone it about 30 seconds. No excuse wy the voter turnout shouldn't have been higher.

Just sent my respectful, but concerning, email to the emails above. I encourage ALL to do the same. Either Nodaks be dropped before the runoff, or threre is a 3rd runoff if neither gets 50% of the vote.

You are a pretty funny guy!! Oh man. I reek of fear?!! You Portland State fans sure do get defensive when you get proven wrong!! The support for no nickname is out there. Of course I know that. The whole point is I believe it is the vocal minority. I think that there are far more people that want to see UND move on with a new nickname than those that don't want them to. Good luck against Cal Poly this weekend!!

The point I am trying to make is that people claim that this is the overwhelming majority opinion. Yet in 3 rally's, there have been a total of less than 100 people. And the last one had 12!! If this truly is something that the students wanted and felt strongly for, you would think they would be able to walk across the street to the Fritz and be able to show support for the cause they so strongly believe in!! There were probably more people standing in line to get ice cream in Wilkerson at that time than were at this rally. My point is the claim is the no name option is the majority opinion, but there is no proof to back that up. And, actually there is overwhelming proof to prove it completely wrong!! The only way Kelley would ever have considered putting the North Dakota option back on is if there was overwhelming support towards it. If there were a few thousand and the rally's that would speak volumes. I am not making fun. Just trying to point out that the claim that the North Dakota option is the majority opinion is just false.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/3866874-video-devoted-few-attend-und-nickname-protest It really is a shame the North Dakota option was not on the ballot to vote for. It clearly is the "majority" opinion!!

You like Nodaks and I like Roughriders You like Fighting Hawks and I like North Stars Nodaks, Roughriders, Fighting Hawks, North Stars. Let's call the whole thing off

Umm...are you asking me a question? Not sure hot to answer that. Question for you though....notice the smiley face at the end of my post? Usually notes a hit of sarcasm or a joke is intended. All good bro. I live a happy life.

If Nodaks is selected, the next protest movement will be to NOT adopt a new logo. The "no nickname" crowd will turn into the "no new logo" crowd!!

If Nodaks is selected, I really don't see UND creating a new logo. Way too much money has already been spent on this nickname fiasco. I honestly believe that they will just put "Nodaks" underneath the interlocking ND and that will be it. So I guess if you are a person that didn't want a new neickname and logo, Nodaks is probably the best option for you.

Someone take the Sioux logo and make up a modified logo to represent Roughriders. Remove the feathers and replace them with a cowboy hat, lighten up the skin, change the hair color, etc. I am sure there are some creative people out there that can do that!! Curious to see what that would look like!!

If Nodaks wins, there is zero chance that "Fighting" will be added in front of it. So get that out of your mind right now. Do you really think that UND wants the scenario where at every athletic event when the team comes onto the filed/court/ice, the announcer says "Here comes your University of North Dakota Fighting....and before he can say Nodaks, the crowd yells "SIOUX"?

How bout this. UND adopts Roughriders as its official nickname, and the student organization can continue to be known as Nodak Nation. Everybody wins!!

There is one thing that everyone can agree on. And that is we are all very passionate about UND sports. The nickname of our sports teams is very important to all of us. It will be what we will identify as UND fans for years to come. I hope that once a new nickname is selected, a logo is made, and the teams go forward with both, that we can turn all this passion from nickname debates to being passionate about our UND athletic teams and players. I know that we are all looking forward to finally doing that.

I believe picking Nodaks only makes this long drawn out process even longer. The point that having Nodaks opens up a wire variety of logo choices is kind of a big deal. So let's say Nodaks is picked. Ok, what is the logo going to be? Is it simply going to be an outline of the state? Is it just going to be the interlocking ND with "Nodaks" written below it? What if people aren't satisfied with that? What should UND brand as a Nodak? A farmer? A cowboy? A hick with overalls? We could be sitting a year from now debating over what logo should be used to represent a Nodak. Sure other names have lots of possiblilites for a log. But at least it narrows it down.