Dickinson State University announced this week that they’re placing the “Hawk Rock,” a 5-ton boulder from the Medora area, near Klinefelter Hall in an effort to boost school spirit. Students are encouraged to write on the rock as long as nothing negative is written (what are the odds of that?) to promote unity and pride among Blue Hawks.
Hopefully this will help boost spirits after the college requested a 9.5% tuition hike. After all, what would make a better metaphor for burdensome student loan debt than a 5-ton rock? Perhaps we could place it squarely between the shoulder blades of a hunched-over concrete figure, and call the whole works “North Dakota University Student.” It’s the perfect mascot for the student borrower.

They’ve had this rock since 2003, which means that it’s unlikely the tuition increase will go to fund this nonsense. Although that’s likely the product of the last tuition increase, and there will be many more increases requested after this one.

DSU seems to be looking for a tradition according to the Dickinson Press article on this thing. One thing I didn’t know is that their original team name was the Savages. Okay, now that is a nickname worthy of change to avoid disrespect for the indigenous peoples of our area. But Fighting Sioux, on the other hand, is a name meant to give honor and prestige to those peoples. But I digress.

I haven’t been to Dickinson lately, although I have lots of family there, so I can’t provide a photo of the Hawk Rock. If I get the opportunity to take one, however, I’ll add my contribution to the messages written thereon: “9.5%.”

PS: NDSU, if you’re watching this, please use your 9.5% increase for English language lessons for your faculty. As a former NDSU student, I’d gladly have paid extra for that. Not that we should have to.