They bring experience; some good, some bad, but all useful. They will, if in a situation that they are comfortable, bring light to situations that may only have been previously available through observation and careful study.

Martin Luther King Jr. believed in action through non-violent means, and while that is admirable, the sad truth of the matter is that sometimes action is required. The Taliban will most likely not be “killed with kindness.”

The heroes among us are our veterans, and the University of Wyoming is one of the top campuses in the nation when it comes to veteran’s affairs. However, one thing that civilians may not understand is the toll these souls have endured, each in their own way.

For many the scars are obvious. They have faced the slings and arrows of war and were not able to come through unscathed. They have purple hearts, bronze stars and other commendations for their courage in the face of such adversity.

For so many others, the scars they bear are far less noticeable and still carry with them much weight. Often it is the scars that we can’t see that are the most painful.

As a veteran of foreign conflicts, who fortunately came through visibly unscathed, I can attest to the weight of the unseen scars.

That being said, these unseen scars are not a total detriment, quite to the contrary; they can be used to educate others who are bearing the same load and help those who interact with them to better understand how to help.

Next week, the university is sponsoring multiple events about, and related to, our servicemen and women who have faced war’s horror and returned.

The first event related to veterans is a discussion on Tuesday of the book “War and the Soul: Healing our Nation’s Veterans for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,” by Edward Tick.

The book “explores a wide range of historical, literary and contemporary perceptions of war” and “explores the effects of wartime service on soldiers’ identities,” according to the event website.

On Friday, a panel discussion of “How and why we are different when we come back: A Veteran’s Perspective.” The discussion is by veterans, for veterans and will enable newer veterans by providing an outlet and an opportunity to talk with an older generation of veterans about how they’ve dealt with their own demons.

To all our UW veterans, past, present and future, thank you. For those who choose to deal with the ghosts on your own, know that there are others who can help, if you will let them.

Email:  DJ Bowman

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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot while hosting an event she called, “Congress in your Corner.”

A Federal District Judge and a nine-year-old girl were killed in the shooting, according to NPR.

Many people on the left claim that prominent conservatives, such as Sarah Palin and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, openly fuel rhetoric that is increasing hostile.

On the right, commentators such as Glenn Beck have called for increased security, insisting repeatedly that, “there are nut jobs on both sides.”

As the fiery rhetoric rises around the country, some students at UW seem to share similar views about the tragic events that took place last Saturday, according to one student’s interview.

“I think the extreme violent rhetoric constantly coming from public figures like Michele Bachmann, Sharon Angle and Sarah Palin validates actions such as this in the minds of irrational people who are extremely anti-government,” Will Welch, a chemistry major, said.

“You can’t blame [public figures] personally for the shooting, but you can blame them for implicitly endorsing this kind of action in their daily public discourse.”

Other students voiced their opinions as well.

“I think it’s a very tragic event, and a grim reminder of how our society handles mental illness,” Sonny Montoya, a senior in political science, said. “Had this obviously disturbed young man gotten on someone’s radar, he could have received the help he needed and prevented this senseless crime from happening.”

Giffords is in critical but stable condition in a Tucson hospital with her attending physicians expressing cautious optimism about the likelihood of her recovery.

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Along with Friday Night Fever’s De-Stresser events, Amnesty International will be hosting a letter writing event tonight in the Union Gardens at 9 p.m.

Writing letters to governments and other authorities that abuse human rights is how Amnesty International began their campaign, Conor Mullen, president of UW’s chapter of Amnesty International, said. “It’s such a simple act that really anyone, anywhere can do it. Overloading the post offices and mailboxes of the tyrannical influences can, and do, help free prisoners of conscious.” 

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement with 2.8 million supporters in more than 150 countries who work to end severe human rights abuse. 

“Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards,” Mullen said.

Tonight’s event will be a “hot cocoa social of sorts,” Mullen said. “Paired with some on-the-spot activism.” Members of Amnesty International will be writing letters on behalf of prisoners of conscious and advocating Amnesty International’s mission—human rights for all—while they sip their hot cocoa. 

With this event, Amnesty International is hoping to meet new people, introduce them to the group and promote the organization’s mission of protecting human rights for everyone. 

The group promotes human rights for everyone by targeting specific instances where some rights are not being observed at all. 

Amnesty International is not connected to any form of government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. Their funding mostly comes from their membership and public donations. 

Currently, Amnesty International is working on a specific campaign on campus in which they are attempting to gain a guarantee from a third party monitor that apparel displaying UW’s name, or logo is made while practicing fair labor.

Amnesty International is working to guarantee that no UW clothes are made in sweatshops. 

“We are not saying that UW clothes are made in sweatshops,” Mullen said. As of now, UW is signed on with the Fair Labor Association, which has some strong ties to the very companies it is overseeing, Mullen said. 

He said that this can create a conflict of interest. 

“[There is] a need for a stronger, more independent type of oversight,” he said.

In the past, Amnesty International has organized film festivals, music festivals called Jamnesty and teach-ins, which are workshops where people learn about specific issues. 

On campus, Amnesty International is a small group that is usually run by four or five people, and Amnesty International is always looking for new members.

Mullen said Amnesty International would like to have dedicated volunteers, who would help keep the group and its projects going. To get involved, anyone can drop by the group’s information table on Mondays in the Union breezeway, or contact Mullen at cmullen@uwyo.edu.

Email: Jamie Magrum

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The gala has been an annual concert for the university since before the tenure of current choral director Nicole Lamartine, who is one of the featured conductors for the event.

According to Lamartine, the Concert Hall can accommodate 700 people, and most years both event times are completely sold out, as was the case last year.

“This event is a performance that includes most of the UW choirs and the wind symphony. It has a combined total of more than 150 singers and 60 wind players. We have been preparing since the end of October,” Lamartine said.

The gala includes performances by the Laramie Civic Chorus, the UW Wind Symphony, the Bel Canto women’s choir, the UW Wind Symphony Woodwind ensemble, the UW Singing Statesmen, the UW saxophone Ensemble and the full Wind Symphony. The concert will incorporate performances from combinations of the different groups.

There will be a total of 15 different pieces performed throughout the night.

The gala will be conducted by three different members of the fine arts faculty; James Bowyer, Robert Belser and Lamartine.

Bowyer was the recent recipient of a doctorate degree from the University of Washington and conducts Bel Canto and the Civic Chorus. 

The last conductor will be Belser, who is conducting the Wind Symphony and all of the performances with any sections of the Wind Symphony.

Belser will also conduct the pre-concert music in the lobby, which will be performed by TubaChristmas.

In 2000, Belser was the recipient of the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Award for Meritorious Classroom Teaching.

“I think that it is a favorite event for the performers and the Department of Music, and it is a great way to connect to Laramie as a whole, both UW and community members,” Lamartine said.

Email the author: dbonner1@uwyo.edu

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There will also be a lighting of the trees ceremony from 6-8 p.m. tonight with refreshments.  “Happy Holidays, Laramie” continues with the seasonal theme Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UW Art Museum. This is the 18th annual “Happy Holidays, Laramie.”

All events this week are free and open to the public.

“There are numerous different activities at Happy Holidays, Laramie! The silent auction for the Festival of Trees continues until 2:30 p.m. The exhibition of Laramie and Albany County children’s art will be on view, as well as the Art Museum’s fall exhibitions. The Museum Store will be open and will also be holding a special Kids’ Store with items available for under $5,” Wendy Bredehoft, the education curator and organizer of the event, said.

“Cookies and punch are available downstairs where Santa Claus will be visiting with kids.  In the lobby and in the gallery there will be musical performances throughout the day.”

The event has usually drawn crowds of more than 2,000 people. Individuals and school and community groups will be performing music at the event.

“This event is like opening the first present of the holiday season, one that brings joy and delight.  When you step into the Art Museum, you are surrounded by the sight and sounds of our community’s creative spirit; in the student art, the musical performances, and the decorated trees. What talent the people of Laramie have! It is an event that is sure to put you in the holiday mood,” Bredehoft said.

“Happy Holidays, Laramie!” also provides an opportunity for Christmas shopping. The Festival of Trees auction will continue until right before “Happy Holiday, Laramie!” and offers many pre-decorated trees. Other gifts will be offered through the museum gift shop. 

Email the author: dbonner1@uwyo.edu 

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While the nation’s capitol enjoys a 65-foot Jackson Hole Christmas tree, Laramie celebrates the season with a festival of individually decorated pine trees.

To help kick off the Laramie holiday spirit the annual Festival of Trees will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, at the Centennial Complex, 2111 Willett Drive, across from War Memorial Stadium.

The Festival of Trees is a silent auction and tree lighting reception hosted by the UW Art Museum.

“The Festival of Trees is an annual event that is made possible through volunteer decorators in the community and is a combination of the silent auction and the Lighting of the Trees reception.  Members of the Laramie community, as well as the UW community, participate in this annual event,” Beverly Schroeder, administrative assistant to the Art Museum, said.

Participating community members decorate a tree that will be sold at the silent auction. 

“There is no set theme; the participants decide themselves what they would like to do and we always end up with a great variety of trees,” Schroeder said. 

Along with the trees, the silent auction will include many pedestal items like pre-lit wreaths and wall hangings and holiday creations from local florists. 

This is the 18th annual Festival of Trees and it is open to the public. 

“The proceeds from the silent auction help to support the Art Museum programs and to aid in supplying scholarships for all ages,” Schroeder said. 

One of the trees included is a “Forever West” tree, decorated by Gov. Dave Freudenthal and his wife, Nancy.

“Santa’s Garden,” a tree decorated by the UW president’s office, will also be up for bid. The art museum decorated two trees this year calling them the “Nutcracker Suite” and “Candy Warhol.” 

First Interstate Bank, UW Football and Habitat for Humanity have also decorated trees for the Festival of Trees.

The silent auction continues on Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and ends on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.. 

“People can come to preview the decorated trees and place advanced bids while they enjoy and evening of music, refreshments, and holiday lights,” Schroder said. 

Email: Lauren Kottenstette  

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Graduate students, on top of taking and teaching classes, must form a thesis that is worked on for the better part of their program.

The Department of History faculty are coming together this week to help second year graduate students during the History Graduate Student Showcase Tuesday from 3:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the History Building Room 155.

“The showcase will highlight three of the Department of History’s graduate students who have made significant strides in their original research projects for their master’s thesis,” JoAnna Poblete-Cross, the organizer of this event and chair of the Events and Colloquium Committee in the Department of History, said.

Three students will be participating: Jacqueline Antonovich, Robert Lang and Xinyuan Mao.

Antonovich’s graduate work focuses on U.S. history, and she specializes in women’s history. Her presentation is on “Female Juvenile Delinquency in Progressive-Era Colorado; Western Perspectives on Gender Deviancy.”

Lang’s graduate work has centered around U.S. history with a specialization in American Indian history. 

“Western Battle/Massacre Sites and the Development of American Memory,” is Lang’s presentation title.

Mao has chosen to focus on Chinese history. She will be presenting on “The Ethnic Minority Policy in the Republic Period in China.”

“The most difficult thing is trying to work a paper that will be over twenty pages into a concise ten page paper. I’ve had to consider what is most important to present, what I feel most comfortable presenting and how to inform the audience [of] other information I intend to include in future work on this topic,” Lang said.

All three of these students have devoted massive amounts of time into this presentation. 

Graduate students in the history department generally work with two members of the faculty and one member outside the department. 

This event allows them to have valuable feedback the would not otherwise get. 

This is also a great opportunity for undergraduate students to experience a part of graduate school.

Each student has condensed their current thesis work to around 10 pages in order to provide a 10 to 20 minute presentation. 

“Most conferences try to group presenters into panels based off of the topic of the papers. That way, presenters and the audience can see what other people with similar interests are working on. For the colloquium, we only have three presenters, so we were all put on the same panel,” Lang said. 

“The colloquium allows the professors to see what we are doing as well.  It also benefits the graduate students because it gives us the opportunity to hear valuable feedback from other professors that we might not get otherwise,” Lang said.

The commentator for this panel will be professor Robert Dewey, who teaches and researches British, European and Pacific histories.

“Research in archives is one of the most exciting aspects of the practice of history. Come and check out the variety of stories and approaches that researchers use to write history. Refreshments will also be provided,” Poblete-Cross said.

Email: Davis Bonner 

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The International Student Association will be hosting their annual Etiquette Dinner from 6 p.m. to midnight this Saturday in the Union Ballroom.

“[The] Etiquette Dinner is an effort to introduce and promote the culture of different countries to the campus community,” Vagaban Subedi, events coordinator for ISA said.

Each year, this formal dinner is given a different theme based on countries or regions that are represented at UW. Speakers from the represented areas are invited to speak on their cultures and etiquette, which is usually accompanied with a short visual presentation.

“There is a dinner right after the informative speeches in which the food from the represented region is served,” Subedi said.

East Asia is this year’s theme. Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia and China will be represented, Subedi said.

There will be a speaker from China, South Korea, Malaysia and one from Indonesia.

Following the dinner, a dance will feature international and English music.

“It is a great opportunity to learn about East Asia, their culture and their etiquettes, [and] how they represent themselves. And it is also a great opportunity to taste the food from different countries at once, which is a rare opportunity,” Subedi said.

With the dinner, ISA hopes to increase interaction between students. 

“We consider the term international as ‘inter-national,’ which includes American students as well,” Subedi said. 

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Tickets are required and were given out Wednesday and Thursday. ISA works to introduce the culture from all countries on campus. 

“Etiquette Dinner is probably the biggest effort in [the direction of] this goal. We basically represent the countries turn-by-turn based on the student representation. Availability of the interested students, vendors who can provide the food from the selected countries is the main factors,” Subedi said.

In past years, themes have included South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. Next year another part of the world will be showcased.

“ISA is looking to see the diverse university community come to the event. A lot of times American students do not show interest in the events organized by the international students. We are expecting to see the American students as well. How much do the American students know about East Asia? Again since it is “International Etiquette Dinner” we want to welcome Inter-national community,” said Subedi. ISA believes cultures enhance if shared with others. 

During Friday Night Fever tonight ISA will be set up in the Union Ballroom. This event is free and open to students (no tickets required). Tables representing various countries will be present so students can learn about different cultures.

International Pizza and deserts will be served. Students can and learn how to write their names in different languages, get henna tattoos, and experience wearing dresses from different countries.  “ISA believes cultures enhance if shared to others,” said Subedi. 

Email the author: lkottenstette@uwyo.edu 

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ASUW voted to approve its special projects budget, allocating the entire $55,000 budget to several one-time projects for organizations on campus. 

The budget was broken down into seven different projects: Good Mule: $15,019.80; Rainbow Resource Center: $7,500; Department of Theatre and Dance: $490.14; Associated Student Technical Services (ASTEC): $9,500; Wyoming African Student Association: $2,000; Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: $1,085 and ASOPA: $19,405.01.

During the meeting, both funding of ASTEC and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes were discussed as senators moved to make amendments to their funding.

College of Law Sen. Will Reese stated concerns about ASUW funding ASTEC rather than giving that funding to SafeRide, ASUW’s biggest program.

Sen. Nate Mullen, committee chair of Budget and Planning, said the biggest concern about funding SafeRide was the idea that it may not be ASUW’s program next year if it moves to Transit and Parking Services.  He said the committee also felt that its request, which was for computers, could also be met at the end of the year when ASUW hears equipment requests. During last year’s budget ASUW cut away ASTEC’s budget substantially to pay for SafeRide.

ASTEC’s request was for lighting equipment, which would allow them to provide lighting services to two events at once and would replace a piece of equipment that was made in 1979.

Director of Finance Luke Frye said he thought using the funding for a piece of equipment that is expected to last for at least 15 years instead of a computer which is projected to last three to five years was a better use of the special projects money. Senators voted to keep ASTEC’s funding the same.

The senators also discussed funding the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, when Sen. Alex Sullivan-Brink made an amendment to cut the $1,085 that was allocated to it.

The event, which takes place once a year to help generate awareness for gender violence, requires men to walk around Prexy’s Pasture in women’s high heels.

Their request was to purchase shoes for the men to walk in and bins to store the shoes, as there have been many problems in the last few years trying to find shoes for the men to use.

“People can get shoes, there is no need to put $1,000 toward one event that happens once a year,” Sullivan-Brink said.

Mullen said Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a strong event with about 50 people attending this year, and that shoes would last a long time if they were taken care of.

“A lot of it has become walk a mile in bare feet,” Senator Brian Simons said. 

The amendment failed and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes received the funding it was originally allocated.

Mullen said during the budgeting process, Budget and Planning Committee had to fully fund a few project rather than partially fund several projects.

“I am really glad the senate voted to allocate the funds to the individual organizations,” Mullen said. “Special projects is a gift and we took the bull by the horns on this one and spent as much as we could.”

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“We wanted to do something for our veterans,” Shelley Dodd, member of Division of Student Affairs, said. “The Professional Development Committee was looking for topics of interest to employees.”

Many organizations affiliated with veterans have been notified.

“We’ve been spreading the word out with a lot of people, so we’re looking for a pretty big outcome,” Dodd said. “The event will showcase a talk given by Dr. Steven Price of the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Cheyenne, as a guest speaker.”

Dolores Cardona, Associate Dean of Students, said she is excited to have a speaker that was recommended by students.

Price also works in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado as a local recovery coordinator and is a social work professional.

Price will discuss his experiences with veterans, as well as issues and concerns student veterans face here at UW. Cardona said that the talk will “give us a real basic overview of working with veterans.”

Cardona will provide opening statements for the event. The event is “aimed mostly at student affairs staff,” Cardona said, but the event is also open to students and the public. “Anyone who wants to learn can come,” she said

Understanding Student Veterans is the latest part of an initiative to make college easier for veterans.

“The university has responded extremely well to veterans coming back from being deployed,” Cardona said. She added that since February, over 330 students received veteran’s benefits. “That’s probably not all of them currently enrolled,” Cardona said. She expects that number to rise in the future.

This is not the first initiative UW has taken in support of its student veterans. Understanding Student Veterans comes after the UW Veterans Services Center’s own event, held last week at the Alumni Association House. Cardona said that the university plans to host another similar event in January.

The Division of Student Affairs wanted to schedule the event close to Veteran’s Day.

Email:Rhaden Lind 

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