NOTE
Bison fans control own perception
FROM THE EDITOR
During the stretch of success in basketball, football,
wrestling and track and field, it’s easy for Bison fans
to forget the one characteristic that represents this
region of America more than any other characteristic.
Joe Kerlin
Editor, Bison Illustrated
C O N TA C T M E
[email protected]
@bisonmag
facebook.com/bisonillustrated
@j_kerlin
In last month’s issue,
we examined the recruiting process of
athletes and the tactics used by many
coaches at NDSU. I wanted to start the
story by showing you where all of our
favorite athletes are from. To no surprise,
more than 67 percent of Bison student
athletes are from either the Dakotas or
Minnesota. Some of you may label this
region the upper-Midwest.
Being from the upper-Midwest, many of
us understand the Nordic tradition of our
ancestry and understand why most of
our families have never left. Sixty-seven
percent of our athletes are the same. We
keep to ourselves and enjoy each other’s
company. We are tightly-knit, but not
seclusive. We are isolated from the big
city, but not insulated from the spotlight.
Since August, NDSU Athletics has
brought two-fold the amount of attention
to Fargo than any other stretch of time
since the Coen Brothers dropped an
everlasting shadow over the area in 1996
with their crime-drama “Fargo.”
The difference is this time we are
controlling people’s perception of Fargo.
Not the media and not Hollywood. We are
taking it upon ourselves to cast a positive
light to the community our roots are
buried hundreds of years deep in.
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NDSU has done their job by bringing
the attention north; it’s what we do
with the publicity that matters. We
have the ability to control how we want
to be perceived. Florida has jorts. Duke
has the Kameron Krazies. What will the
Bison have?
MEET THE TEAM
EDITOR’S
MIKE
Madalyn
Michael
NATE
Tracy
Sarah
ALEXIS
NICK
Erika
Humility is a significant attribute to the
upper-Midwest; it’s what the area is
known for. But with the recent amount
of success at NDSU, it can be easy to
forget our humble roots.
Yes, it has been a crazy year. Yes,
NDSU fans have a lot to brag about.
But there’s such a thing as a sorewinner. My hope is that what has
transpired over the past few months
can thankfully be remembered by
Bison fans and future success is not
expected, but welcomed.
Thanks for letting Bison Illustrated
enjoy this fun ride with you. Thank you
for reading, see you next year and, as
always, go Bison!
Go Bison,
Joe Kerlin