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History in the Pines

Alumni stories

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Support BSU

History in the Pines emblem white v2

History in the Pines

Alumni stories

Margaret Laurich waves to the crowd while walking to midfield for the pregame coin toss with Ty Cobb (76) and the Bemidji State football captains before the Homecoming football game against Minnesota State on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Chet Anderson Stadium. Laurich, a 1963 Bemidji State College graduate, returned to Bemidji for the first time in 60 years for Homecoming weekend. (Micah Friez / Bemidji State)
Cheerleaders (1956)
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Dr. Jim Tuorila named VFW national surgeon general

Dr. Jim Tuorila named VFW national surgeon general

Dr. James "Jim" Tuorila, a 1979 Bemidji State University graduate, was elected National Surgeon General of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. on...
Gail Nucech inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Gail Nucech inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Gail (Hecimovich) Nucech, a 1969 Bemidji State graduate, was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame on June 25, 2024....
Rod Heisler inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Rod Heisler inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Rod Heisler, a dual-sport athlete at Bemidji State, was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on June 15, 2024. The former Beaver played...
Kraus-Anderson names Patrick Weerts to lead Bemidji regional office

Kraus-Anderson names Patrick Weerts to lead Bemidji regional office

The Bemidji office of Kraus-Anderson has promoted industry veteran and 2006 Bemidji State University graduate Patrick Weerts to director of operations. In his new position,...
Dhel Duncan-Busby becomes first-ever Beaver selected in CFL Draft

Dhel Duncan-Busby becomes first-ever Beaver selected in CFL Draft

Former Bemidji State football standout wide receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby achieved a life-long goal on April 30, 2024, when he was selected in the 2024 CFL...
Duane Sorenson retires after 27 years as Cyclones swim and dive coach

Duane Sorenson retires after 27 years as Cyclones swim and dive coach

After leading the Iowa State women's swimming and diving team for the last 27 years, Duane Sorenson, the program's winningest coach and the second-longest tenured...

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Crossing Waters

You’ve seen the mound outside Tamarack Hall – and maybe even clapped on it – but do you know the story behind it?

Crossing Waters – derived from the Ojibwe word “bemijigamaag,” meaning “lake with crossing waters” and for which Bemidji was named – honors the history of our region.

When you stand on the top of the mound and clap your hands, the way the sound bounces off the surrounding buildings makes your clap sound like a beaver’s tail slapping the water, while everyone on the ground just hears you clapping. The red bricks on the mound make up the constellations that match what we can see on the summer solstice.

The iron branches surrounding the mound contain excerpts from the journal of Joseph Nicollet, a well known European geographer who was set on making a name for himself in the United States by accurately mapping the area surrounding the upper Mississippi River. He learned much about the Dakota and Ojibwe during his explorations and recorded Indigenous place names of locations on his maps of the region.​

The benches are shaped like canoes, representing the journey to Bemidji via the Mississippi River.

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