Fourteen black football players were dismissed from the football team for planning to protest a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints practice regarding black priests. After UW’s head coach Lloyd Eaton told these players that they could not protest during the game against BYU, the nation’s attitudes toward college athletes changed forever.

Kevin McKinney, senior associate athletic director of external affairs at the University of Wyoming, and radio announcer for Cowboy basketball, was working for UW Athletics during the Black 14 incident and, in the 41 years since, has seen the entire landscape of college athletics more forward.

“At the time, players were not only barred from protesting but from any self-expression. It was not explicitly a matter of race. Athletes couldn’t have earrings or tattoos at the time let alone protest,” McKinney said. “It wasn’t right, but it was what it was.”

For McKinney, the change was one that was ready to happen. The Black 14 represented the token moment in which the culture of college athletics changed.

“It has to start somewhere. The first person who went to an all-white school or this [the Black 14 protest] had to happen to accelerate the change to where we are now,” McKinney said.

That change was one that pushed the nation towards a sports culture more aware of individuals and of differences in identity.

“I think the value of it was that it made coaches more aware that every player has value,” McKinney said.

The current athletics program is now the most diverse place on campus, according to athletics director Tom Burman.

“The whole point to me of college athletics is to bring these diverse people together and make them play as one and feel as one. That [being diverse] is what college is all about. Bringing together people from everywhere. Then [1969], we had 14 black athletes. Now we have French kids playing with kids from Cody, Wyoming,” McKinney said.

The Black 14 represented a monumental change for UW and for sports in general. The freedom for athletes to protest now seems commonplace and individuality in sports is higher than ever. For McKinney, the change that Wyoming went through was important for all of college sports.

“It was a bad thing for Wyoming at the time. No doubt. But it was a good thing for accelerating the change,” he said.

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The Branding Iron is a Student Media project. Student Media gives University of Wyoming students valuable experience in writing, editing, advertising, sales, graphic design, photography and production through its publications with the guidance of professional staff members. If you find a mistake in an article, e-mail us at bi@uwyo.edu. We will make sure to torture the poor soul until it's corrected. Just kidding. We probably won't do anything, since we're busy studying for finals.

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According to 2009 U.S. census data, Wyoming’s population is 93.5 percent white. Only 2.3 percent of Wyoming’s population is foreign-born, while the black population makes up an estimated 1.4 percent of the 544,270 people in Wyoming.

Athletics director Tom Burman has been a strong advocate for diversity in Wyoming Athletics, be it nationally or internationally throughout his time at Wyoming.

“I think it’s really, really important in an institution of higher education, that we try to be as diverse as possible whether it be racially diverse or culturally. We need to provide to the University of Wyoming, the city of Laramie and most importantly to the students a learning opportunity through diversity,” Burman said.

According to associate athletic director for media relations Tim Harkins, the men’s and women’s basketball teams lead the way for the number of international athletes.

Harkins said that the track, volleyball and women’s soccer programs are also strong in international diversity within the athletics department as well as women’s tennis, which is coached by Hungary native Kati Gyulai.

There are eleven international students participating in men’s athletics at Wyoming and 20 international students in women’s athletics, according to Wyoming Athletics.

Francisco Cruz is one of four members of the Cowboy basketball team who was born outside of the U.S.

Cruz, a native of Nogales, Mexico, moved to the U.S. prior to his junior year of high school and is proud to have the chance to play at the Division I level.

“It’s really cool being from Mexico. I mean, not many people from Mexico have a chance to play at the NCAA level,” Cruz said. “I think it’s pretty cool that people from France, Africa and all over the world get the chance to play basketball here [at UW].”

Burman echoed Cruz’s sentiments, pointing out the best parts about the most diverse team in Wyoming Athletics.

“You look at a basketball program like our men’s side…it’s a pretty neat mix of people. You’ve got a kid from Cody, Wyoming [Adam Waddell] playing next to Djibril Thiam from Senegal, with another French kid on the floor at the same time, a kid from Mexico and … a kid from a rough part of Ohio. You merge all those kids together and they learn how to respect each other and how to get along. When they become teammates, and it takes a little while, then it’s an incredible bond,” he said.

Burman has noticed that the department’s move towards diversity has not been entirely accepted.

“We often have African-American young men from the inner-city standing shoulder to shoulder with players from Buffalo, Wyoming [Chris Prosinski], and I think that’s great … but not everyone does. I get a lot of emails and correspondence from people in Wyoming that think that [recruiting other nationalities and ethnicities] is a waste of state resources,” Burman said.

The athletics department strives for diversity in their coaching staff as well. Burman said that while the department has no rules regarding minority hiring, they do emphasize global thinking during hiring and they advise coaches to maintain coaching staffs that match the diversity of their teams.

“There’s no place on campus that’s more diverse than our coaching staff,” Burman said. “We’ve still got a ways to go but we’ve hired more minorities in the last four or five years than we have ever.”

Email: Tom Hesse

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What could have easily been presented as an earnest and heartfelt suggestion for education reform has come across as a terribly naïve and hurtful diatribe, pointing the finger at (who else?) those pesky, ignorant teachers.

Although I have not a single aspiration to become a lawyer, doctor, accountant, or work in any other profession Ms. McGuigan deems worthy of esteem, I still foolishly consider myself to be “bright and hard-working.”  I’m also smart enough not to expect everyone to carry my perspective on education. However, unlike Ann, I don’t believe that composing a negatively-worded and judgmental letter is going to spark the progressive overhaul that’s desperately needed in American public schooling.

While I won’t argue that I didn’t have any of my own personal frustrations with the banality of some of my education courses, I would be lying if I didn’t say I felt inspired and challenged with others. That being said, I have the sneaking suspicion that I would have felt that way regardless of what I was studying.

If anybody expects to go to college for four years and graduate an expert in their field, they are presented with a massive reality check before too long. I didn’t register for classes under the impression that I was about to receive a neatly wrapped tool kit on how to be a fantastic teacher. During the process of my residency, I learned and grew more in a day of teaching than in my years as a student. Rather than curse what you consider my poor education, I quickly realized that there is no reasonable way in which a four-year program can prepare someone for the reality of being an educator, and it’s ignorant to write a shamelessly critical epistle when you fail to recognize the fact that the majority of how someone learns to teach happens when they’re actually standing in front of a classroom.

While there are, of course, crucial topics that need to be addressed, discussed, and introduced during the undergrad experience, teaching happens to be a vocation where the most knowledge comes from experience and on-the-job training. A cynical outsider can argue that we are sending woefully unprepared teachers into the hot seat. Fortunately most educators (who consider themselves to be lifelong learners) understand that with every class and every year there will be growing pains and opportunities to change.

I’m happy this letter has opened up a dialogue about a critical issue, but it bothers me that it has done so because of its biting tone. As an instructional assistant and a soon-to-be teacher, I hope the flippant way the author demeans the very people who care the most about students is something that can stay out of future discourse.

I am eternally grateful for the “slackers, idiots, and crazies” who have chosen to devote their lives to educating us Wyoming idiots. As an aspiring teacher, I can’t wait to take my unrelenting optimism and continue to believe I’m actually in a position to make a difference in a part of the world. I understand that in doing so, I run the risk of being judged by the large handful of people like Ann, who’ve got it all figured out and will continue to dish out advice lined with hurtful stereotypes.  That little slice of reality doesn’t bother me so much, but that’s probably because I’m a future teacher…I hear they’re not so bright.

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But instead of looking at what motivated the shooter or why he committed such a horrendous act, it would seem now is a good time to look at what the possible ramifications of Saturday’s tragedy could be.

Sadly, it appears that greater space, both literal and figurative, will be placed between citizens and politicians that are elected to represent them. A further sense of alienation between American citizens and their political representatives will likely continue because of this.

One of the things I am sure will come as a result of Saturday’s attempted assassination and mass murder is a more robust security force to protect members of both the U.S. Congress and Senate against the threat of such violence. It would not surprise me to see politicians with security details that are more reflective of the U.S. President than that of members of the Congress or Senate.

But as security increases, so too will a physical barrier between politicians and their constituents. As more police and guards surround those elected on our behalf, these representatives will be even more removed from the people they were voted to serve. And with such a wall between them and their political leaders, people will probably be less inclined to try and engage in a dialogue with said leaders.

The shooting may also affect the willingness of politicians to engage their constituents openly, and in public.

According to a Jan. 12 Associated Press report titled, “Dad pursued Ariz. massacre suspect before shooting,” Rep. Giffords was shot at a shopping center while taking part in what was referred to as “Congress on Your Corner.” During such events, Giffords would meet and speak with voters in her district out in the open, in public places.

It’s doubtful politicians are actually beaming at the prospect of going out into public arena and engaging with voters while one of their own sits in a hospital bed after trying to do just that. If anything, these sorts of forums for open government, such as “town hall meetings,” are likely to grow less frequent.

If these kinds of forums grow fewer and fewer, the distance between politicians and citizens will grow larger than it already is.

With the potential for increased security around them, a lack of willingness to take part in open forums like “Congress on Your Corner” and fear that they may be attacked, members of both Congress and the Senate may turn their attention inward.

As these elected officials’ attention may be turned inward, it will only detach them from their constituents and increase their attachment to entrenched special interests, i.e. political lobbyists.

Surely those lobbyists will have greater access (more than they already do) to our representatives than voters if these politicians choose to retreat from the public realm and surround themselves with security. Yet, after Saturday, how could anyone blame a member of Congress for feeling safer meeting with a lobbyist than with individual members of the public. After all, lobbyists generally want something from our elected officials, but it’s not to shoot them in the cranium.

But when it comes to engaging openly with the public, a senator or congressional representative can never be sure that some lone gunmen may not be in the crowd waiting to gun them down. Many politicians may largely remove themselves from the public eye

This will surely not enamor the voting community with their politicians. If anything, it will reinforce the whole concept that our elected representatives are beholden and serve at the behest of special interests; at least moreso than they are to the people they’re supposed to serve.

This will most likely increase the sense of disillusionment many have towards government.

So while you can blame partisan political rhetoric for motivating the shooter, this means little or nothing in contrast to the ramifications that may come as a result of the massacre.

None of which bodes well for increasing the contact between those elected officials and those they are charged with representing. Nor does it enhance the likelihood that public’s faith in their representatives is going to increase—not at least anytime soon.

Email the author: sstaley2@uwyo.edu

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The Branding Iron is a Student Media project. Student Media gives University of Wyoming students valuable experience in writing, editing, advertising, sales, graphic design, photography and production through its publications with the guidance of professional staff members. If you find a mistake in an article, e-mail us at bi@uwyo.edu. We will make sure to torture the poor soul until it's corrected. Just kidding. We probably won't do anything, since we're busy studying for finals.

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I am writing both as a concerned citizen and a person of Christian faith to publicly voice my strongest opposition to the Arizona-style immigration legislation scheduled for introduction this week in the Wyoming legislature.

In Scripture, the ethical responsibility of extending hospitality to strangers is a key requirement of faithfulness. The overall theme of the Bible’s teaching is summed up in Leviticus 19:34: “The alien who resides among you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to welcome the stranger (cf. Matthew 25:35), for “what you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me (Matthew 25:40).”

Why is the matter of immigrant justice such a concern of the Jewish and Christian faiths and what bearing does it have on the current immigration debate in our country? In short, the biblical mandate reminds us that injustice anywhere leads inexorably to injustice everywhere. Whenever there is a class of people without rights, without voice, without legal recourse and protection, it endangers not only that group, but threatens the well being of society as a whole.

People from all walks of life can agree that the immigration system in this country is broken: our need for comprehensive reform is clear. Regrettably, so-called “tough enforcement” bills, patterned after Arizona’s SB1070 do little to address the problem in substantive terms, but instead, appeal to the basest tactics (racial profiling and inhumane detentions) without ever addressing the root causes of migration.

Wouldn’t our local and federal legislatures be better served by supporting fair and comprehensive immigration reform that: reunites long-separated families separated due to visa backlogs, protects worker rights, reforms inhumane detention processes, makes the visa system more efficient, and most importantly, provides a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants so they can pay taxes, learn English, and contribute as productive members of our society?

We are all God’s children and we are called to care about the well being of all people—including our immigrant brothers and sisters. Our communities suffer when U.S. immigration laws offer no hope for undocumented immigrants, separated families, or exploited workers to achieve a better life. I encourage you to join me in asking our state and federal legislatures to work for solutions rooted in hope rather than fear.

Rev. Joe Bair

Douglas, WY

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The Branding Iron is a Student Media project. Student Media gives University of Wyoming students valuable experience in writing, editing, advertising, sales, graphic design, photography and production through its publications with the guidance of professional staff members. If you find a mistake in an article, e-mail us at bi@uwyo.edu. We will make sure to torture the poor soul until it's corrected. Just kidding. We probably won't do anything, since we're busy studying for finals.

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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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The Branding Iron is a Student Media project. Student Media gives University of Wyoming students valuable experience in writing, editing, advertising, sales, graphic design, photography and production through its publications with the guidance of professional staff members. If you find a mistake in an article, e-mail us at bi@uwyo.edu. We will make sure to torture the poor soul until it's corrected. Just kidding. We probably won't do anything, since we're busy studying for finals.

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Yet, most of us will not see these changes. If you ask me, the reason for failing to make our resolutions a reality lies is the temporary nature of New Year’s resolutions.

To put it simply, most of us lack the long-term commitment to see such a thing to completion.

We all probably know someone who has a bad habit—binge drinking or smoking cigarettes—that they promised they would quit.

For most of these people, such a change will not last long into the year. I’ve known people who swore off drinking on New Year’s only to pick up their bottle the very next weekend. 

And the smokers that promised themselves to put out their cigarettes for good on Dec. 31 were, in all likelihood, lighting up on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2; they will likely smoke every day for the rest of the year.

Both smokers and drinkers possess the ability to put their harmful habits behind them, but few actually will.

That is because to cease doing either takes a great amount of perseverance and struggle in opposition.

Another common New Year’s resolution is to get in shape and start exercising regularly. 

Getting in shape is a great goal to set, but it will only happen with commitment and continual, regimented work.

Surely, many students will be hitting up Half Acre in the first few weeks of the semester, but whether they will be crowding the gym two months from now is another question all together.

Some will succeed at getting into shape; others’ commitment and discipline will wane as the weeks and months progress.

Along the lines of getting into shape, some people swear that they will finally start eating healthy.

This is yet another objective which is theoretically great, and, certainly, many made such a commitment or resolution this year. But,whether they see the resolution through is doubtful at best. If our country’s current obesity rates say anything, it’s that people will likely continue with their detrimental diets.

After all, the call of fast food beckons all around.

Yeah, we can resist temptation and opt out for the salad over the burger—at least for now. But how many will continue to do so as the year continues?

Whether it’s eating right, getting into shape or quitting a self-destructive habit, making such changes requires sustained commitment, determination and inner-will.

These changes require sustained resolve.

That’s why most New Year’s resolutions are doomed to fail; they are commitments absent resolve.

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The group was founded three years ago by a group of women in Bernardo, California. It is an ecumenical ministry, meaning all faiths are open to join, where people come together and create quilts for people who are going through life-changing events, Pastor Marilyn Engstrom said.

These events range from a cancer diagnosis to surgery to the birth of a baby. The group designs a quilt for the individual while taking into consideration colors and interests that person may enjoy.

They then hand-tie the quilt. “With each knot a prayer is said,” Engstrom said.

12 to 20 people create the quilt, and many come from different church denominations.

A few years ago, a member of the ministry wanted to make a quilt for a soldier but knew that a quilt was too large for the soldier to take. Instead, Prayers and Squares made a single quilt square for the soldier, Engstrom said.

Members of his unit thought the square was a great idea and word got back to the group.

Since then, Prayers and Squares have made over 6,000 quilt squares for men and women in the military. Each has a special note on the square, such as, “We love and appreciate you. As you carry this prayer square, may you be reminded that you are never alone. We pray for your protection and that God gives you peace and brings you home safely.”

Many of the squares are carried in soldiers’ pockets and on helmets.

Groups like Engineers Without Borders and UW nursing students who have traveled to other countries have also received squares. These squares are brown and gold, while the soldier prayer squares are red, white and blue.

The popularity of Prayers and Squares has also grown to include a Junior Prayers and Square ministry.

It started when a group of grade school girls came in during the summer to volunteer.

“It’s become an after school program,” Engstrom said. This group includes students from late elementary to junior high. They have started designing their own quilts that are given to teachers and fellow classmates in need.

Recently, Prayers and Squares received a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming to continue growing the ministry. With the grant, five new sewing machines and other equipment was added.

Anyone interested in volunteering with Prayers and Squares can attend meetings that are held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesdays in the Gild Room at Hunter Hall at 104 South Fourth Street.

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The Branding Iron is a Student Media project. Student Media gives University of Wyoming students valuable experience in writing, editing, advertising, sales, graphic design, photography and production through its publications with the guidance of professional staff members. If you find a mistake in an article, e-mail us at bi@uwyo.edu. We will make sure to torture the poor soul until it's corrected. Just kidding. We probably won't do anything, since we're busy studying for finals.

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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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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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