CATS (Connecting Alumni to Students) encourages all students to participate in UNI’s digital yearbook—The Traditions Challenge. Traditions need to be submitted by Friday, April 21, 2023. The Traditions Keeper Ceremony will be held Tuesday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Reading Room—Seerley 116. 

The Traditions challenge lists 63 traditions to complete on and off campus. You also have the option to create 10 of your traditions! 

“The Traditions Challenge helps you make the most of your time at UNI and gives you a way to remember it forever. It’s a ‘must-do’ list of campus activities you are encouraged to participate in, many of which you will already do during your college years. You just need to document it with photos!” said Vice President of Traditions Kelsi Kruise.

The Traditions Challenge is a massive part of UNI’s campus involvement. UNI students create memories and connect with other Panthers around the world. These traditions and activities will connect students to alumni through shared experiences and continue the history at UNI.

“The Traditions Challenge was created in 2009 to replace the yearbook. [It] became the ‘create-your-own yearbook’ of your Panther experience and to use it as a guide to getting the most out of your experience at UNI.” Kruise stated. 

“There are a few ways to access the Traditions Challenge, first, through alumni.uni.edu/traditions. Scroll to the section “How do I participate?” There, you will find the list of all the traditions you can complete and the presentation you can use to paste all your pictures. In the presentation, all traditions are sectioned by themselves, so you can scroll through until you find the one you are looking for and then insert your picture.” Kruise said.

The other way to access the traditions challenge is through the MyUNI app. When students click on the app, they will see a dashboard of portals; they can also go to the menu and see all the portals there. Students can then scroll until they see the Traditions Challenge portal and click on it. Once the Traditions Challenge portal opens, students will see additional information about the Traditions Challenge. Traditions include eating at the dining center, attending a music or theatre event performance and much more!

Once students turn in their Traditions Challenge presentation, they will be invited to a ceremony where they will be given the title “Official Traditions Keeper.” If students complete 25 traditions, they will receive a lapel pin, and if they complete 45 traditions, then they will receive a medallion to wear at graduation!

The Traditions Challenge allows students to experience all that UNI offers and will enable students to create lifelong memories and something to reflect on when they are out of college.

“When you participate in traditions, you are helping keep our traditions alive for the next generation of Panthers. Continuing this legacy will allow you to hold a special title, ‘Official Traditions Keeper.’ This is important because it shows that your experience at UNI was meaningful, and you want to allow future generations to have that same shared experience.” Kruise said.