Stampede has been the title of summer orientation for upcoming Harding students for the past seven to eight years. On Feb. 27, students and faculty received an email stating that Stampede has been renamed to “Bison Bound.” While the Stampede title holds relevance, Harding found Bison Bound as a more fitting name.
“Everything can have a great shelf life, and Stampede had a great shelf life, but the same will be said for Bison Bound,” Dr. Kevin Kehl, dean for student success said.
In the fall, the department of marketing and communication collaborated in re-branding. Although, it was not their plan to change the name of Stampede, but they decided this was the best thing to do.
“Stampede sounded chaotic,” Amanda Hall, communication and events coordinator said. “All of the connotations of a Stampede (are) chaotic and that is almost what stampede felt like. With the re-brand, we wanted something more clean and calm.”
The name “Bison Bound” is meant to illustrate the excitement of looking forward to the future for new students starting at Harding.
“When you think about Harding and new students, you always want to be fresh, pertinent and relevant,” Kehl said.
Part of Kehl and Hall’s job is to help new students transition into their new lives at Harding.
“We want students to know we are excited about having them,” Kehl said. “We want them to be excited about being here and we are determined to be hospitable and serve.”
A tagline often used for Harding is “A Community of Mission,” and the new name, Bison Bound, goes hand in hand with that. The Center for Student Success wants to communicate togetherness, that new students are in this transition together to help students feel as though they are part of this new community.
“We believe they are determined to be here, and they are making a big commitment and we think this name reflects that dedication and commitment on both parts,” Kehl said.
The Bison Bound was created to make Harding an even better community. It is not, “I am bound” but “we are bound.”
