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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The award is given to a president who exemplifies leadership to create a campus environment where learning and campus life are not undermined by the misuse of alcohol, according to Outside the Classroom and United Educators.

“The award is managed by Outside the Classroom and United Educators. They are passionate about harm reduction and alcohol awareness so we can maximize the success of students nationally,” Sara Axelson, vice president of student affairs, said.

Nominators were asked to talk about how societal conditions drive alcohol use and the magnitude of the alcohol-related problems in universities.

Buchanan cited in his acceptance speech that, at UW, these examples are easy to find because 25 percent of students in Wyoming have reported drinking before the age of 13 and 72 percent of arrests and citations from the UW Police Department involve alcohol.

“Across the nation, college and university presidents have to face the fact that young people coming to the university are already experienced with alcohol,” he said.

Nominators were also asked to talk about how their president has taken an active stand on alcohol and made prevention of its misuse a priority for their institution, as well as created new initiatives to change student norms away from alcohol use.

“President Buchanan’s commitment to addressing alcohol issues and success in decreasing both alcohol use and its adverse effects are models for the entire higher education community,” Janice Abraham, CEO of United Educators, said in a press release.

Buchanan has implemented alternative late night programs for students, mandatory online alcohol education and AWARE, which is a nationally recognized alcohol education and intervention program.

He is also the leader of the A-Team, a coalition of campus and community members to change campus, local and state laws and policies surrounding alcohol.

According to a press release from Outside the Classroom and United Educators, from 2007 to 2009, student binge drinking dropped by 24 percent, in part because of Buchanan’s work.

There was also a 29 percent decrease in students reporting alcohol interfering with academics and a 40 percent decrease in drunk driving, according to the release.

“It’s really very rare for you to see something like what is happening here at the University of Wyoming,” Brandon Busteed, founder and CEO of Outside the Classroom, said.

“You have not only many staff across the university start to get involved in a very important way, but you also see a very committed and dedicated university president who doesn’t just talk the talk but is a very on-the-point leader in espousing his belief that this is an important issue to address,” he said.

“The kind words are humbling, but this is an award for the university. It is not an award for me, and it is an award for the hard work of our faculty, our staff and of our students,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan was given $20,000 for the university, which he dedicated for use by the AWARE program.

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 that there seems to be quite enough money in the piggy bank. 

If this is a problem, then all worries should be laid to rest because here is a comprehensive list of unique and homemade gift ideas, at reasonable prices.

First on the list is the Bodum New Kenya 17-Oz Coffee Press which can be found forless than $20.

According to justthebestgifts.com, “In 2004 the Bodum coffee press received the American Culinary Institute’s award for best French press coffee maker.” 

Second up is the sixth generation 8GB Ipod Nano. According to apple.com, “iPod nano has been completely redesigned with Multi-Touch—the same technology that makes iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so amazing. 

Now it’s half the size and even easier to play. And everything you want to hear is just a tap or swipe away.” The Nano is less than $150.

The top rated gift for men on askmen.com was sports or concert tickets. “For Who? For any man who’s single, divorced, dating, young or old, enjoys sports, and loves to watch his favorite team live. Or, if you’re not the sporting type, maybe she can excite you with concert tickets to your favorite rock band,” Peter Richmond, a product review consultant for askmen.com, said. 

One of the top gifts for women, according to gifts.com, is the Kindle Wireless Reading Device. “The all-new Kindle has a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 17 percent lighter weight at just 8.5 ounces,” gifts.com says. The Kindle is can be found from $100-$200.

For those who are a little more strapped for cash, there are also a few top homemade gifts offered. The first of these is Snowman Poop. According to budget101.com, to make this you simply put a load of marshmallows in a brown paper bag and attach a poem.

At Home Magazine named its number one homemade gift as, “Baked cakes/truffles.” Different recipes for holiday treats are plentiful with a simple Google search. 

Whatever your final gift ideas may be, there is no denying that there are numerous items available to those with all wallet depth.

Email the author: dbonner1@uwyo.edu 

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The case centers on a California law, which imposes a fine of up to $1,000 to anyone who sells or rents certain kinds of violent video games to minors. 

According to the California law, the violent games in question are legally defined as “Those appealing to a deviant or morbid interest of minors, offending community standards and lacking serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”

A recent Rasmussen poll found that 54 percent of Americans think that violent video games contribute to increased levels of violence in society. 

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A view of a snowy Prexy’s Pasture Tuesday morning. A high of 35 is expected through this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. There is a 40 percent chance of snow tonight, and a 50 percent chance Thursday.

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UW is not an Ivy League school, but it has many great things going for it. By the numbers, it is one of the great schools out there.

Starting with tuition, UW is one of the best schools for the price. Whether in-state or out-of-state, it is known for its affordable price. This is true even after the recent jump in the cost of tuition.

In the 2009-10 year, UW almost ranked last out of all U.S. public doctoral institutions for its price of undergraduate resident’s tuition and fees with UW ranked 145 out of 150 for the cost of tuition for resident graduates.

Those are some good numbers for those individuals who are looking for an education at a nationally competitive university.

Another statistic that speaks to the school’s strength is the high acceptance rates of those who apply to UW with 96 to 97 percent of all applications that apply accepted for admission. This number is very high considering national standards. When you consider how UW is the only four-year institution of higher learning in the state, the acceptance rates are even more impressive. Although the acceptance rate is high, the enrollment rate is much lower, around 48 percent.

So how are our numbers nationally once the students are accepted?

A very important number to look at is UW’s fall-to-fall retention rate. It shows the number of students who are staying in college and not dropping out before graduating. UW is at 73 percent, which is the roughly the same as the national average of 76 percent. 

Additionally, the UW graduation rate each year is almost the same as the national average for other public institutions. About 22 percent of students enrolled at UW graduate in four years; nearly 55 percent of students who start out as freshmen at UW eventually graduate from the institution.

UW’s ratio of 14 students for every faculty member is also an impressive number for being the only four-year public institution in the state.

Although the university and its administrators have stressed that they do not like national rankings from many publications, the school does not do terrible in them.

UW moved into the first tier of nationally ranked universities listed in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group.

UW ranked 153rd among all national universities and ranked 81st among public colleges. The rankings were out of more than 1,400 schools nationwide.

These numbers are excellent for the University of Wyoming nationally, though I am sure that many in the administration will argue that the university deserves to be higher.

It doesn’t stop there. The Princeton Review ranked UW in its best Western Colleges and Top Colleges.

The National Research Council ranks the University of Wyoming’s Department of Economics and Finance in the College of Business as the nation’s leader in faculty research output and eighth overall in research productivity. The review ranked 120 economic doctorate programs in the U.S. 

UW’s department ranked in the top 10 in overall research productivity and quality, along with the economics departments at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, University of California-Berkeley Economics, University of Chicago, Harvard’s Kennedy School and the California Institute of Technology.

UW’s MFA Program in Creative Writing recently was named one of the top 50 programs in the country.

I’m sure there are many numbers and rankings that have been left out and probably deserved to be on this list, but the point is that if anyone needs proof of the high academic value of the school, you need only to look at the numbers.

Email: Max D’Onofrio 

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In the basement of the Albany County Public Library, about a half a mile of shelves are filled with books looking for new owners. The fall book sale at the Albany County Public Library is almost here.

The book sale starts at 12 p.m. on Saturday and will continue through the week. On Sunday, the library is open 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., closed on Monday, and open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. On the final day, the sale will be open from 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. 

“We’d like the students at the university to know the tremendous resources we have here at very inexpensive prices. Classics, science, just about every subject of used books that have been donated,” chairman of the book sale Penny Schenker said. The volunteer group Friends of the Library helps raise money for the public library when it holds the book sale. 

Starting on Wednesday, the prices drop 25 percent and Thursday almost every book in stock drops to 50 percent off. Nov. 13, the final day of the sale, is a five-dollar bag day, when a full grocery bag costs only $5.

“It’s a great way to build your library.” Schenker said.

At the end of the sale, the books will be recycled so the Friends of the Library can start with an all new selection of books for sales next year. All the books at the book sale are donated by the community and withdrawn books from the library.  This year, Friends of the Library is using some new technology to help get the best price for book lovers and the library alike. Their small machine plugs into a cell phone and allows the user to scan books to see how rare they are. 

If Friends of the Library do stumble across a rare book, they send it to a book dealer to sell it.

In the past, a yearbook from 1910 was donated from West Point Military academy the year Dwight D. Eisenhower graduated. 

A dealer helped sell the book and the profit, like all books from sale, went to help the Albany County Public Library.

“I always came to the book sales,” Friends of the Library volunteer Mary Vrooman said. 

“And then I retired and I had time to focus on things that I love; and I love books.”

Email: Lauren Kottenstette 

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Jodi Guerin, Mayor of Laramie, reminds students that the city is surprisingly under-funded when compared to other communities around the state, because the money that funds our services comes mostly from sales tax.

“Because we don’t have big tax paying companies or large mineral reserves, we have to find ways to make our funding stretch further and make sure that we’re all pulling our own weight, “ Guerin said. “For me, voting to spend a penny on the dollar to support the services I want to see in Laramie is an easy way to accomplish great things in our community.”   

The tax has been in place since 1986 and has put the funds to uses such as funding community organizations like the SAFE Project and Downtown Clinic, according to Guerin. 

The funds are also used to help fund the fire department and repair our streets, which obviously could use more funding, she said.

The current decline in funding due to the national economy in combination to the loss of the tax could reduce the city budget another $4 million per year, which Guerin said would require the city to reduce their staff by more than twenty individuals and impairing their ability to provide the services students need.  

“I personally believe that we all share in the responsibility to band together to get things done, and continuing this tax is a way that we can all pay a little and get a lot in return,” Guerin said.

Joe Shumway, another city council member, said the 5th cent has historically been paid by citizens, who recognize why these funds are critical to make Laramie a safe and desirable place to live in.

Additionally, he said it is important to remember that 15 to 20 percent of the tax is collected by visitors, tourists and other non-residents.

“I support the 5th cent to keep Laramie a great pace to live,” Shumway said.

City council member Klaus Hanson said he believes that the continuation of the 5th cent tax is an absolute must for the city and the county. 

According to Hanson, contrary to the first four cents of state sales tax, which  are collected by the state and come back to the county and city at a meager rate of 31 percent, the fifth cent returns to county and city at a rate of 99 percent, thus, the first three pennies of the State Sales Tax really bring back as much money as the fifth penny does by itself.

“It is the most effective penny as far as our income is concerned, and our local citizens get the most benefit from it, comparatively speaking,” Hanson said.

To Janine Jordan, City Manager for laramie, it is key to make sure that the students who will be voting are informed about the importance of the tax to the city and community that they are apart of.

“Outreach to those 10 or 12 thousand up there is very important because they are going to go to the polls in November and we need them to understand what the tax is about so they can make an informed choice,” Jordan said. “We want to make sure that students have that information because many of them are new to the community.”

Email the author: mdonofri@uwyo.edu 

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Come Nov. 2, one of the most important proposals in the history of Laramie will be on the ballot and it must not be forgotten.

The proposal is the 5th cent tax, officially known as the General Fund Excise Tax. 

Why is it the most important proposal in the history of the city? Well, by not renewing this tax, the city—and every single person who lives or drives through here—will be hurt.

Why should I vote for the 5th cent tax?

First off, this is not a new tax. It has been in the county since 1986, and it contributes an average of 16 percent to the general city fund.  

From there, the tax goes to fund police and fire services, parks, recreation, street reconstruction, graveling streets, dust control, sanding and snow removal, capital construction, community agencies and county road maintenance. These are things you rely on and use on a daily basis. These are not ridiculous expenditures that a bloated government needs to cut. These are essentials.

This tax provides between four and five million dollars to the general fund operating expenses in the City of Laramie. On top of that, for every dollar the city spends on grants, they receive on average three dollars in return. 

Without the 5th cent tax, the city would be unable to receive money from those grants, some of which pay for a large portion of local firefighters’ salaries.

Currently, you pay six percent in sales tax and, if you vote for this tax, that won’t change. It will stay the same and you will be supporting your city the best way you can.  

Of the first four percent of locally-paid taxes, the state keeps 70 percent and only shares 30 percent with Albany County and the City of Laramie. Most of the taxes we pay are not for citizens, but the 5th cent is different.

The county and city receive 99 percent of the revenues that come from the 5th cent tax. It is our taxes that go toward our community. It’s for the local community; it’s for us.

Another benefit from the sales tax is that Laramie citizens are not the only ones who pay it. People traveling through Laramie contribute between 13 and 18 percent of the revenue generated from the tax.

In 2010, the 5th cent tax provided $3,998,111 for Laramie, $675,000 for Albany County and $30,000 for Rock River.

And for those who believe the city does not need anymore money because our utility bills have gone up, it should be noted utility is an entirely different subject.

The city is required to run everything on that bill. The utility bill price going up is just like a business raising its prices when profits are low, much like gas or electric companies. The city is not trying to scam you. Laramie is trying to scrape by.

What happens if I don’t vote yes?

If the tax does not pass, the city will see even more substantial cuts than seen in the last few years. 

First, it’s important to remember that the recession not only makes it tough on citizens but Laramie as well.

Since the sales tax is affected by the amount of money people spend or when the economy falters, the city does not receive as much money.

Over the last two years, the city has already made massive cuts to the budget and has had to lay people off. They’ve cut seven million dollars out of their general fund budget.

If the tax does not pass, the city will have to cut another four million dollars. 

According to the City of Laramie, without the tax, essential services will have to take a hit.

These services include firefighting, police protection, street maintenance and repairs, snow removal and many more. Once again, these are essentials for Laramie citizens.

The money from the tax is also used to support city agencies like the Downtown Clinic, the Eppson Center for Seniors, the Laramie Youth Crisis Center and Interfaith-Good Samaritan. 

Without the tax, these organizations will be unable to provide the full range of services they currently offer.

These agencies are essential to the City of Laramie, UW and the students and citizens in Albany County.

Finally, there is no way to replace this money if the tax is not renewed. It isn’t like the city can pull it out of a magic hat. It will merely cut the budget that has already been decimated by cuts.

Do we really want our city services, the ones that save and protect out lives, watered down to the point that they cannot perform their functions?

This tax needs to pass, if only to protect the essentials. You need to vote yes on the 5th cent tax on Election Day or we will all pay the consequences.

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“The focus has been mainly on those retention rate because in order to graduate you got to stay in school, and we want to keep our students engaged and in school,” McCuskey said.

Email the author: mdonofri@uwyo.edu

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