Thousands Join Bucky’s Hoedown in Lively Bemidji State Homecoming Week
What do you get when you combine a beaver, the Wild West and thousands of alumni and friends?One heck of a Homecoming week for Bemidji State University
The week of Sept. 25-Oct. 1 was full of action on campus and in Bemidji as BSU embraced the annual affair with a “Bucky’s Hoedown” theme. The festivities included the Honors Gala, Game Day Experience (a revamped version of Community Appreciation Day), a sold-out Homecoming football game, the 40th anniversary Carl O. Thompson Memorial Concert and more
Join Us for an Alumni Tour on Campus
Ready to revisit your old stomping grounds? Come back to campus and tour Bemidji State University!
We proudly offer free tours for alumni and their families on weekdays. Visit bsualumni.org/tours or call 218-755-2599 for available dates and to reserve your time. Then meet us at the David Park House, located at 1501 Birchmont Drive NE in Bemidji, and we’ll take over from there.
And you’re in the driver’s seat: While we’ve got some highlights up our sleeves, let us know what you want to see and we’ll take you there. Each tour hits all the major landmarks around campus, plus the ones tailored to your interests. Tours can last a maximum of two hours and can accommodate up to 20 people.
Bryan — your tour guide — will tell you all about BSU: some history you knew, a thing or two you didn’t, and all of the latest campus happenings and updates. There’s no college setting quite like the one on Lake Bemidji’s shores, so don’t miss your chance to experience it all over again.
Whether it’s been five years or 50 years since you last came to campus, we would love to welcome you back.
Alumni Relative Scholarship Deadline Feb. 1
First-year, returning and transfer students who are relatives of contributing alumni may apply for an Alumni Relative Scholarship for the 2024-25 school year. The program provides a limited number of $1,000 scholarships to attending students with relatives who have contributed $75 or more to the university by Feb. 1, 2024.
A committee of Alumni & Foundation board members selects recipients based on information applicants provide about their areas of ability, talent and circumstance. The scholarships are made possible by donor contributions to BSU’s Lakeside Fund. Apply at www.bsualumni.org/alumni-relative-scholarship or call the alumni office at 218-755-2762.
Four Outstanding Alums Recognized at Honors Gala
Over 200 guests packed the Sanford Center to celebrate four distinguished alumni and many other supporters during the Honors Gala on Sept. 29.
Marc Bloomquist, Corby Koehler and John Thompson were honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award — the Bemidji State Alumni & Foundation’s highest honor — while Denae Alamano was the recipient of the Young Alumni Award.
Past award winners were also recognized, as were donors entering new giving societies. Attendees also got a look into how donations transform students’ lives with a video highlighting the Maury Sullivan Emergency Grant for International Students.
Athletic Hall of Fame Welcomes Newest Inductees
Bemidji State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame has expanded to accommodate six worthy individuals and one national championship-winning team, all of whom were formally inducted into the Hall on Oct. 14.
Family, friends and supporters packed the Beaux Arts Ballroom for the annual ceremony and brunch, which recognizes alumni athletes, former coaches, administrators and others who have excelled and brought acclaim to the university.
This year’s alumni athlete inductees were Drey Bradley (men’s hockey, 1980-84); Michele (Dinius) Kirby (volleyball, 1995-2000); Tony Kukich (men’s swimming and diving, 1980-83); Mark Liska (men’s hockey, 1981-85); and Kari Torgerson (women’s soccer, 2003-06). Dr. Gary Erickson was also honored as a John S. Glas Honorary Letter Winner, while the 1985-86 men’s hockey team was inducted as an Outstanding Team honoree.
First established in 1978, the Athletic Hall of Fame now includes 208 individual athletes, 18 BSU coaches, 10 Alumni Coaches, 9 John S. Glas Honorary Letter Winners and 27 Outstanding Teams for their collective success.
Supporters Make 2023 a Banner Year Through Summer Fundraisers
The numbers are in, and it’s official: The summer of 2023 was a banner year of summer fundraisers for Bemidji State University.
Supporters came together for a multitude of events throughout the summer — eight golf tournaments and one fishing tournament — in the name of supporting various BSU athletic programs and causes. All told, nine events from June through September proved Beaver Territory continues to expand.
Participants and donors raised more than $208,000 combined in gross revenue throughout the summer. There were 750 participants and 330 event sponsors.
“The Bemidji community has a lot of Beaver pride,” said Jesse Katz, the BSU Alumni & Foundation’s director of annual giving for athletics. “The support we get from the community for these events is essential, and it shows their unwavering commitment to the success of our teams and student-athletes.”
The summer tour features three premier events: the Gordy Skaar Memorial Golf Tournament; the Galen Nagle Memorial Golf Tournament; and the Howe-Welle Women’s Athletics Golf Tournament. But all nine events helped raise necessary funds for the athletic department and individual programs to be most successful in 2023-24.
Root, Root, Root for the Twins during BSU Night at Target Field
Bemidji State University alumni and friends were taken out to the ballgame on Friday, Aug. 25, for the always-festive BSU Night at Target Field.
Fans witnessed an explosive baseball game, featuring two upper-deck home runs, more than a dozen runs on the scoreboard and a postgame fireworks show. The Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 12-2 and sent the 25,144 in attendance home happy.
Over 60 fans participated in the BSU event, which featured a pregame social at Town Ball Tavern and two sections for fans decked out in Beaver green.
The Bemidji Alumni Choir also sang the national anthem before the game.