Feb. 5—BEMIDJI — With over 2,000 people standing at attention, waiting for the commencement of the fourth annual Unified basketball game at Bemidji High School, Daniel Norton was given a microphone.

The BHS junior joined Unified during the second semester of his freshman year. He had played in the yearly Unified basketball extravaganza before, but he was more of a spectator during the past pregame festivities.

But with age comes responsibility, and Norton was tasked with giving a speech about the harmful effects of using the R-word.

“Oh, yes,” Norton answered emphatically when asked if he had nerves about addressing the crowd. “There’s no way I can lie and say ‘no.’ I practiced it. I had to stare at the script the whole time to avoid getting tongue-tied.”

He started his speech on Wednesday night with, “My name is Daniel, and I’m proud to be a Lumberjack.” He then thanked KBUN’s Joel Hoover for being the emcee before giving a message about the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.

“This campaign is to spread the word about the harmful effects of the R-word,” Norton continued in his speech. “Sometime during the game, go check out the campaign and add your name to the banner. I hope to see a ton of names on there by the end of the night.”

Norton got his wish. There were hundreds of signatures etched on the banner hanging on the wall near the concession stand at the BHS Gymnasium.

Unfortunately, the R-word has had a

resurgence in the American-English lexicon.

Popular influencers and political figures have been fast and loose with it in recent years, normalizing a slur that was once thought to be taboo.

Despite the resurgence,

Unified physical education teacher Jackie Stoffel

has seen efforts like the BHS Unified program, which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities together in athletics, fight against the trend.

“We do some surveys and stuff, and I always ask the kids about that and the campaign against (using the R-word),” Stoffel said. “I ask them if they hear people using it, and in the 10 years I’ve been teaching the Unified class, it’s less and less each year. That’s not saying it doesn’t happen, and maybe they’re not always honest with me, but I do think the number of kids that say their friends use that word has become a lot less.”

Nights like Wednesday at the BHS Gymnasium have become more than just a reminder about the campaign. They’ve become more than just a feel-good night of hoops.

The fourth annual Bemidji Unified basketball game was a showcase of the program’s growth, further boasting Bemidji’s exemplary status of inclusivity.

Look no further than Norton and his close friend Tomah Canty.

The two met in an art class when Norton was a freshman and Canty was a sophomore. Norton is a junior now, and Canty is finishing his final semester in high school. Canty played football before his career was cut short due to injuries. He’s also competed in track and field in the past, but Unified makes him a three-sport athlete.

“It’s like any other team I’ve ever been on,” Canty said. “It’s very united. We’re all in this together. It’s just fun, man. I can’t describe it. Unified means a lot to me.”

The emotional attachment Canty has to Unified can be seen through his relationship with Norton. It’s a friendship filled with a lot of laughs, along with some head-scratching moments.

“Dude, he is crazy,” Canty said, giving a sheepish smile while standing next to Norton. “He’s always giving out these random facts. They’re the coolest facts ever. Like, you have no idea where he gets this stuff. He’s just the coolest guy, probably the coolest guy I know.”

Much like the pregame speech, Norton was under the gun once again. He was asked to give a “cool fact” on the spot. And just like the eight points he poured in during Bemidji’s 37-26 win over Menagha, he delivered.

“Did you know that there’s a type of deer that basically, instead of peeing, it absorbs the pee and poops out salt clumps and saves those salt clumps for later?” Norton asked, which drew a puzzled but impressed look from Canty.

“See what I mean?” asked Canty.

The duo helped lead the Lumberjacks to a win over the Braves. However, as it is every year, the score is merely a formality.

The night begins with the player introductions. Each participant for Bemidji, Menahga and the Bemidji ‘B’ teams runs through a tunnel of students onto the court. Norton, Kal-El Spears, Annabelle Myhre and a Menagha player all addressed the capacity crowd with pregame speeches.

At halftime, the “B” teamers played a separate basketball game. The Blue Angels dance team did a high-kick performance, and the Unified show choir performed a karaoke rendition to a mashup of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”

Bemidji youth basketball players also played in a five-minute game against various Bemidji mascots before the second half began.

“As the program grows, we have different things that we have to try and find a spot for to recognize it in this big, community event,” Stoffel said. “It can be challenging, but it’s fun to see everyone come together. That’s a big thing that’s been happening over the last couple of years. It’s really starting to spread.”

By the second half, once most of the events of the night have concluded, Stoffel gives herself some time to appreciate the night holistically.

“During the games, I find myself watching the parents of the kids,” Stoffel said. “When a kid is about to shoot, I kind of know where their parents are sitting, and I look over and watch their parents when they shoot. To see the joy on the parents’ faces when they take a shot, it’s special. It’s my way of appreciating these nights.”

After the game ended, players and spectators congregated on the court for hundreds of photos. It’s a perspective-gaining moment for Canty and Norton.

“For me, it felt nice to take part in it, and not only take part in it but also be a proud member of Unified,” Norton said. “My aunt and uncle came all the way from Nevis to watch. They are very nice. It feels nice getting to compete with friends, against friends or against other schools.”

“It means so much to me,” Canty added. “The coolest people are in the Unified program. Everybody has so much love for each other. Everybody has so much fun with each other every day. Every Unified gym class is my favorite class. It’s just so much fun.”

“And you got to see my smiling face,” Norton chipped in.

“That’s the best part,” Canty said.

The BHS Unified basketball team will head to Minneapolis Feb. 9-10 for the state tournament. It’s a trip that inspired the idea for the annual Unified basketball game four years ago, bringing the fanfare to a local level.

The Lumberjacks will play two games at the Target Center. They will also take in a home Timberwolves game on Monday, Feb. 9, against the Atlanta Hawks.

“We’re not just going to state, but winning,” Canty said confidently.

It will also be Norton and Canty’s last official basketball games as teammates. Canty is graduating in May, but vowed to be in attendance for the fifth annual Unified night in Bemidji next February.

“He’s a very good friend to me. I’d say we’re even best friends,” Norton said.

“I’d say we’re best friends if we’re being honest,” Canty added, looking at Norton. “Me, him and a guy named Jackson were the trio in our gym class. I’ll be coming back to watch his Unified game next year.”

“And, Tomah, maybe we could stay in contact after you graduate?” Norton asked, turning his conversation away from the interview into a more one-on-one with Canty.

“Of course,” Canty responded. “That’s what best friends do.”