spring 2006 #2

2 • Frontiers 2005 Frontiers 2005 • 3

The University of Wyoming student magazine

Volume XVIII, Issue 3

Summer Movie ReviewPage 26

at the University of Wyoming

Cancer research

Page 6

get an internship3

How to American Beauty The obsession with thinness

Page 17

2 • Frontiers 2006

Frontiers 2006 • 3

Contents...May, 2006 Volume XVIIII, Issue 3

Preparing for BattleFighting cancer before it strikes

by Joan Bolander 6

MoabThe outdoors never looked better

by Lindsey Korsick 22

Leaving the Stomping GroundsAre UW graduates running for the border?

by Ron Bronson, Jr. 15

Hands-on EducationTips to finding a good internship

by Travis Hoff 13

Chronic Wasting DiseaseUW’s initiative to reveal the

transmission pathways

by Amitava Chatterjee 25

Cover photo

Where are They Now?A look at distinguished UW alumni

by Carrie May 10

Summer Movie Reviewby Jason Nelson 26

American BeautyAmerica’s obsession with

thinness and the fi ght against fat discrimination

by Malerie K. Stroppel 17

Dr. Youqing Shen of UW’s department of chemical and petroleum engineering

Photo by Kabe Termes


A Super Summer

Summer is just around the corner. And that brings the arrival of everything related to summer: traveling, internships, summer school or just relaxing and doing nothing. Personally, my summer is so full with all of the above that I have a feeling it will be over before I know it. But no matter what your plans are, Frontiers has got an article for you. Lindsey Korsick covers her trip to Moab, Utah on page 22, and tells you how you can tackle this fantastic trip yourself this summer. Travis Hoff shares the top fi ve ways to get an internship on page 13. Even if you weren’t planning on jumping into an internship this summer, this article just might change your mind…or at least get you thinking into the future. If summer school is in your plans for summer, the Summer Session information on page 14 just might provide you with what you’re looking for. Or, if you just feel like kicking back and relaxing your summer away in Laramie, Jason Nelson gives you just the way to do it with his summer movie review on page 26. You’re sure to fi nd something you’ll want to head to the theatres for. And don’t forget to check out the Outdoor Adventure Program’s summer schedule on page 24 for other fun things to do in and around Laramie. No matter what your summer will be fi lled with, this issue of Frontiers is just the thing to help you plan it out. So my friends, read on and enjoy your summer.

Malerie K. [email protected]

EditorMalerie K. Stroppel

Assistant EditorCarrie May

WritersJoan Bolander

Ronald Bronson, Jr.

Amitava Chatterjee

Travis Hoff

Lindsey Korsick

Carrie May

Jason Nelson

Liana Przygocki

Malerie K. Stroppel

PhotographersShantana Banta

Christopher Beuhler

Malerie K. Stroppel

Kabe Termes

Graphic DesignShantana Banta

Kara Peterson

Frontiers is produced three times a year by

students of the University of Wyoming through

student publications.

Frontiers magazine

University of Wyoming

Student Publications

Department 3625

1000 E. University Ave.

Laramie, WY 82071


Contributors

Carrie May is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in creative writing and will graduate in May. She enjoys writing and reading and spending time with her family and friends. She also works as editor-in-chief for the Branding Iron.

Christopher Beuhler is a junior majoring in fi nance. He has been shooting photos for student publications since transferring to the University of Wyoming this past fall. When he is not attending classes, he enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, fl y fi shing, nature photography and occasionally exploring the Wyoming skies since he obtained his pilot license in 2001.

Jason Nelson is a journalism major and will graduate this May. He has been writing for student publications for three years as an entertainment writer. His life revolves around entertainment, writing music and movie reviews and features, playing guitar and writing songs in a local band called Five Lane Highway. He is also the manager of the Fox movie theatre in Laramie. Jason hopes to get an internship and/or job at a national entertainment magazine after graduation or possibly run his own movie theatre.

Travis Hoff is a sophomore journalism major with a minor in creative writing. He is a Wyoming native who grew up in Jackson and loves his new home in Laramie. When he isn’t tied up with school or work he enjoys going to Vedauwoo, rooting for the Cowboys and Cowgirls and relaxing with his friends. After graduating in a few years he hopes to start a career as a writer either journalistically or otherwise.


In 2002, my brother—who we’ll call Steve—noticed a swollen lymph node on the right side of his neck the week before his 21st birthday.

He thought, since he was in the Navy and working what seemed like endless hours in Operation Enduring Freedom, he was coming down with a cold due to the stress.

A few days later, he noticed that he was dead tired all the time; no amount of sleep or Mountain Dew would help. “I thought that I had mono again,” he said. He also noticed something worse: another bump had formed a little farther down his neck. He made an appointment with the ship’s doctor. It wasn’t until the helicopter was lifting him off of the ship that anyone ever mentioned the word that would be a part of him for the rest of his life: cancer. Steve was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma a week later after a biopsy. Luckily it was found early, and, after six months of an intensive and experimental chemotherapy cycle, he was diagnosed as in remission. Four years later, he’s perfectly healthy.

If this had happened 20 years ago, Steve probably wouldn’t be alive. If not for the cancer research done over the past two decades, the survival rate for all cancers would be much lower, and with recent developments in research, including one here at the University of Wyoming, the rates should fall lower still.

DiagnosisTh e recent diagnoses of breast

cancer in Sheryl Crow and Kylie Minogue as well the lung cancer death of Peter Jennings illustrate a startling statistic. Th e American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 2,500 new

cancer cases this year in Wyoming alone and 1,399,790 across the United States. Across the country, the ACS expects 564,000 people to die of cancer this year. Th at’s 1,500 people a day, or 1 out of every 4 deaths. Add to this a depressing estimated 65 percent survival rate from the disease and the results look pretty grim, even for young adults.

Dr. Julie Carlson of the University of Wyoming’s Department of Student Health said that the most common cancers for young men aged 20-39 are Leukemia, brain and other nervous system cancers, colorectal cancer,

non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and lung and bronchial cancers. For women in the same age group, breast cancer and cervical cancer are added to the list.

Th e key, Carlson said, is knowing when to get whatever symptoms you might have checked by a doctor. “I think that any lump or bump that’s new and doesn’t go away should be checked out. For women, it could be a breast lump, for men, a testicular lump.”

If you unexplainably lose a lot of weight or experience night sweats, you should also see your doctor. “People wake up with night sweats and they soak the sheets, which is real common with leukemias and lymphomas,” Carlson said.

Fatigue is also a warning sign, although it’s diffi cult to tell in college-aged adults. “If you have 18 credit hours and three jobs and you can’t fi gure out why you’re so tired, cancer might not be it,” Carlson said. “But unusually severe or persistent fatigue should always be

checked out, if not for cancer then for other things, like hypothyroidism.”

Early Detection

Are you now suffi ciently scared that lump isn’t normal and might be more serious? See your doctor, because if it’s found early, cancer is much more easily treated. For Steve, early detection was easy. He found an unusual lump and reported it to a medical professional. A quarter-sized lump on your neck can’t

be ignored for long. He was fl own to a hospital in the United States where he received a biopsy, and it was determined that at his point in the disease, he had a 90 percent survival rate after treatment.

“It was a relief,” Steve said of the early

diagnosis. Although he had been charging his shipmates a quarter a piece to touch what had been known as Timmy the Tumor, he was not sad to see him go.

Th e early diagnosis probably saved his life. Th e American Cancer Society has taken the stand that early detection of cancer saves lives. In the eight types of cancer that it recommends early screening for, the 5-year survival rate is about 82 percent. Th at’s almost 80 percent higher than the 5-year survival rate for all cancers.

Not all tumors are as easily found as Steve’s, however.Th ose in the abdomen can grow for long periods of time without detection. Th ese tumors are not usually found until the cancer is in its advanced stage, at which point they are much more diffi cult to treat.

A whole new division of research is focusing on fi nding cancer at the beginning of its growth into these tumors by using biomarkers. According

Fighting cancer before it strikes

I think that any lump or bump that’s new and doesn’t go away should be

checked out. For women, it could be a breast lump, for men, a testicular lump.

By Joan BolanderFighting cancer before it strikes

to the National Cancer Institute, which just began a $32 million program to encourage biomarker research, biomarkers are “biologic indicators of disease or therapeutic effects which can be measured through dynamic imaging tests, as well as tests on blood, tissue and other biologic samples.”

This means that researchers are trying to find biological evidence of cancer before tumors become dangerous. If they can find a biomarker of a dangerous tumor, they can treat the tumor earlier, and the patient has a higher rate of survival.

TreatmentTake heart—even if that pesky

lump is cancer, the treatment outlook

gets better by the day. According to the National Cancer Institute’s 2005 Progress Report, the survival rate is increasing and the mortality rate is falling among all cancers. And the American Cancer Society said that annual cancer rates have actually fallen for the first time in 70 years.

“Finally, the declining rates have surpassed the increasing size of the population,” said Rebecca Seigel, a Cancer Society Epidemiologist.

Much of this has to do with advances in treatment. Steve was lucky enough to get into an experimental program that upped his chances of survival, but the payoff was six months of chemotherapy. His hair fell out and he was even more tired than he’d been when he just thought he had mono.

He was constantly nauseous, and the basketball fan found himself getting confused by the suddenly rapid pace of games.

“Chemotherapy is more baseball-paced,” Steve said. “It was not the most fun that I’ve ever had.”

But a study here at the University of Wyoming may change that for future cancer patients. Dr. Youqing Shen in the department of chemical and petroleum engineering is working on a process that will minimize the side effects and increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. The process involves nanoparticles—so small they’re 1x 10^-9 meters wide—as a drug delivery device.

“We are trying to fool cancer, since cancer can learn,” Shen said. The problem with chemotherapy



ff

is that as it is administered over a period of time, the cancer cells build resistance to the treatment. But when the nanoparticles are administered, they bind with receptors on the side of the cancer cell, fooling the cancer cells into thinking that no medicine is being administered. Th is makes the treatment more eff ective.

In immune system-repressed mice, Shen and his colleagues, Dr. William J. Murdoch in animal science, Dr. Mac Radosz in chemical and petroleum engineering and Dr. Jun Ren in pharmacy injected tumors into the abdomens of mice to simulate advanced ovarian cancer. Using nanoparticles, they administer two treatments of cisplatin drugs, which are one of the many kinds of drugs that can be used in chemotherapy.

Before treatment in the mice, Shen and his colleagues would fi nd, on average, 65 tumors in one square centimeter of tissue from the mice. In

mice treated without the nanoparticles, the researchers found 26 tumors per square centimeter of tissue. However, in the mice treated with the nanoparticles, the researchers found only nine tumors per square centimeter of tissue.

Ovarian cancer has a particularly bad reputation in the medical community. Shen said that it is notorious for two reasons: “It is extremely painful, with the abdomen fi lling with fl uid. Also, there is almost no cure. Th e 5-year survival rate is only 10 percent.”

Th ese positive early results have given Shen hope that this might someday be applied to humans. He continues to apply for more grants to increase the number of students he can have work for him on this promising project.

PreventionDon’t want to enjoy the particular

pleasures of chemotherapy, no matter how reduced the side eff ects? Although

it is impossible to completely prevent cancer, you can take steps that will reduce your risk. Carlson recommends a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, regular exercise, and regular health maintenance, such as pap smears, breast exams and testicular exams. Above all, she said, quit smoking.

“Although we always think of breast cancer as a killer, lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the leading killer of women in 1995,” Carlson said.

Although it was impossible for Steve to prevent his cancer, he takes comfort in the fact that he survived, despite that after four years his hair never grew all the way back. “I miss my hair,” he said. I miss it too—it was a beautiful head of thick, curly blond hair, almost too pretty for a guy—but I’d rather have him without hair than not at all. It’s good to know that today’s research gives hope of recovery to many more of the millions living with cancer that might otherwise have none.

Source: American Cancer Society, Inc.Source: American Cancer Society, Inc.

Lung & bronchus90,330 (31%)Colon & rectum27,870 (10%)Prostate27,350 (9%)Pancreas16,090 (6%)Leukemia12,470 (4%)Liver & intrahepatic bile duct10,840 (4%)Esophagus10,730 (4%)Non-Hodgkin lymphoma10,000 (3%)Urinary bladder8,990 (3%)Kidney & renal pelvis8,130 (3%)All sites291,270 (100%)

Prostate234,460 (33%)Lung & bronchus92,700 (13%)Colon & rectum72,800 (10%)Urinary bladder44,690 (6%)Melanoma of the skin34,260 (5%)Non-Hodgkin lymphoma30,680 (4%)Kidney & renal pelvis24,650 (3%)Oral cavity & pharynx20,180 (3%)Leukemia20,000 (3%)Pancreas17,150 (2%)All sites720,280 (100%)

Estimated new cases Estimated deathsBreast212,920 (31%)Lung & bronchus81,770 (12%)Colon & rectum75,810 (11%)Uterine corpus41,200 (6%)Non-Hodgkin lymphoma28,190 (4%)Melanoma of the skin27,930 (4%)Thyroid22,590 (3%)Ovary20,180 (3%)Urinary bladder16,730 (2%)Pancreas16,580 (2%)All sites679,510 (100%)

Estimated deathsLung & bronchus72,130 (26%)Breast40,970 (15%)Colon & rectum27,300 (10%)Pancreas16,210 (6%)Ovary15,310 (6%)Leukemia9,810 (4%)Non-Hodgkin lymphoma8,840 (3%)Uterine corpus7,350 (3%)Multiple myeloma5,630 (2%)Brain & other nervous system5,560 (2%)All sites273,560 (100%)

Estimated new cases Estimated deaths

Estimated new cancer cases and deaths in men and women in 2006Cancer in 2006


University of Wyoming history is littered with outstanding alumni. Some of these alumni have chosen to stay in the state, while some chose to leave. Dale Groutage, an inductee to the University

of Wyoming College of Engineering Hall of Fame, spent much of his career after graduating outside of Wyoming, but decided to return.

Groutage, who now lives in Lander, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

The College of Engineering Hall of Fame was established in 1998 and recognizes outstanding graduates who have distinguished themselves nationally or internationally through their p r o f e s s i o n a l a c h i e v e m e n t s and leadership in engineering.

“UW is my school. The greatest years I ever had in my life were when I was a student,” Groutage said. “Enjoy your time as a student. You think it will go on forever, but it doesn’t. Prepare for your future, because you will have a vital role in society.”

Groutage was born in Rock Springs and grew up in Wyoming. He was raised in Reliance, what he called a “little coal-mining camp.” His father was a coal miner and his mother was a nurse’s aid at the Rock Springs hospital, where she helped deliver babies.

“We didn’t have much. We were actually quite poor,” Groutage said. “Everybody that lived there were in a similar situation.”

Groutage was always interested in science, even as a

small boy in Reliance. Recently, Groutage said, he spent some time in Lander as a grade school science fair judge. Working with the kids made him remember the thirst for knowledge he felt as a student.

“It reminded me of growing up in Reliance and working out behind my father’s house, he had a little wooden shop out there,” Groutage said. Behind that shop, Groutage solder tin cans together, building remote-controlled submarines and rockets.

“I was probably in the sixth grade,” he said. “And, actually I won the second place in the state science fair that year (for

my rocket).”Groutage credits his

teachers, who he calls his mentors, for helping him foster his love of science into a lifelong career.

“The most noble profession I believe there is to be an instructor, a teacher, in education —

whether it’s the kindergarten level or clear up through the professors here,” Groutage said. “You can’t buy an education at Kmart or at Safeway. Some noble individual has to donate their life to passing that knowledge on, and that’s what makes society so great.”

Groutage earned three degrees in electrical engineering at UW. He earned his bachelor’s in 1966, his master’s in 1968 and a Ph.D., which was a combination of engineering and science, in 1982.

“Students come to the university to take an active role in society,” Groutage said. “You come to universities to learn, but you leave to serve.”

Groutage began his career in 1968 as a research engineer

A look at distinguished UW alumniBy Carrie May

Photo by Shantana Banta

You can’t buy an education at Kmart or at Safeway. Some noble individual has to donate their life to passing that knowledge on, and

that’s what makes society so great.

A look at distinguished UW alumniWhere are They Now?


at the Naval Weapons Center in Corona, Calif. From 1971 to 1988, he conducted research in the areas of ocean surveillance and autonomous vehicles at the Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, where he developed a new loitering missile concept called Persistent Anti-radiation Missile or PARM, according to the College of Engineering Web site.

He was also lead project engineer for the development and testing of the first three PARM systems that were used to baseline the billion-dollar Tri-Service program “TACIT RAINBOW,” a mini-cruise missile system. Three of his six U.S. patents relate to the TACIT RAINBOW system concept.

In 1988, he joined the staff at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Bremerton, Wash., as a senior research scientist. In 2001, the National Society of Professional Engineers selected Groutage as the NSWC Engineer of The Year and one of the top 10 engineers in the federal government. After his public career, Groutage accepted a position with Science Applications International Corporation as the senior investigative scientist in the Sea Technology Division in Bremerton.

Groutage spent much of his career working on submarine

technology gave a presentation called “The Incredible Submarine” at UW in April.

“The seminar had a brief history of the submarine, focused on the U.S. submarine, and a history of science that made our submarine fleet so great,” Groutage said. “We have the best Navy in the world—the Navy that won the Cold War, the Navy that guards our freedom today. And I was a great part of that.”

The modern U.S. Submarine is one of the most technologically advanced achievements man has ever created, Groutage said.

His seminar also addressed the modern day “Ultra Quiet” fleet of nuclear powered U.S. Submarines, which Groutage helped develop in his time as a civilian scientist for the U.S. Navy.

Groutage is running for the U.S. Senate in the 2006 election. If elected, he plans to tackle issues facing UW students like student loan cuts and the lack of jobs in Wyoming.

“I was absolutely against that whole concept of cutting student loans,” Groutage said. Our society moves forward, he said, when young people get educations.


Groutage (left) and Dean of Engineering, Gus PlumbGroutage (second from right) working on the community ditch project.

All Groutage photos courtesy of Dale Groutage

Groutage and colleagues at the Navy Lab NWCCL working on Anti-radiation Missile 1.

Where are They Now?

12 • Frontiers 200612 • Frontiers 2006

Photo by Malerie K. Stroppel


Th e University of Wyoming Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award is given to people who are distinguished in their business, profession, career or life work. Th e recipients are people of such integrity, stature and demonstrated ability that the University of Wyoming faculty, staff , students and alumni will take pride in their recognition, and people who refl ect and realize the importance of the education received at UW.

Col. Edwin J. Witzenburger, 1991Witzenburger was Wyoming

State Treasurer from 1975 to 1979. He was also a United States Air Force liaison to the U. S. Sentate and is a decorated veteran. Before holding his post as Wyoming State Treasurer, Witzenburger served as a state auditor, appointed in 1973. Source: soswy.state.wy.us/informat/r-off.htm, soswy.state.wy.us/informat/r-off.pdf, treasurer.state.wy.us/pdf/FormerStateTreasurers.pdf

Jerry Palen, 1998Palen was born in Paris,

Tenn., in 1943. His family moved to Cheyenne after World War II and he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Wyoming in 1969. He owned and operated a Wyoming ranch for several years. He is now a cartoonist who draws “Stampede,” a cartoon depicting the agricultural family of characters Flo and Elmo. “Stampede” has the largest circulation of any rural cartoon series in the U.S. or Canada.Source: http://ahc.uwyo.edu/onlinecollec-tions/exhibits/rural/palen.htm.

William “Bill” Heink, 2000Heink received his bachelor’s

degree in electrical engineering at the University of Wyoming in 1962. He came to Wyoming in the 1950s and after graduating had a career in the aerospace fi eld. He retired from Boeing in 2000 as Boeing’s Shuttle Director

at the Kennedy Space Center. He currently sponsors a scholarship, the Bill and Mary Lou Heink Engineering Scholarship, at UW. He also serves on UW’s National Advisory Board.Source: http://wwweng.uwyo.edu/advisory/members.html and http://wwweng.uwyo.edu/news/040718/.)

Bill Stall, 2004Bill Stall, a graduate from the

University of Wyoming journalism program, was the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial writing in journalism. Stall, who began his career as a journalist working for the Laramie Daily Bulletin and the Evening Republican Boomerang in the late 1950s, has spent portions of his career in Reno, Nev., Sacramento, Calif., Los Angeles, Calif., and Hartford, Conn. Stall’s father was in the Wyoming newspaper business as well—he owned the weekly Sheridan County Independent from 1947 through 1949.Source: http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/alum/distalumn4.asp.

Distinguished Alumni

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Groutage also plans to work on bringing coal to liquid technologies to Wyoming, so the people of Wyoming can benefi t fully from their own natural resources. Coal to liquid technologies, he said, would bring more jobs to Wyoming and stop Wyoming’s oil from being sent to other states for further development.

Groutage counts his understanding of research and technology as one of his strong points, and feels that his knowledge can be used to maximize Wyoming’s natural energy resources without sacrifi cing its beauty.

“Wyoming leads the nation in coal production. With that

industry alone, you could create a broad spectrum of jobs, white collar and blue collar,” Groutage said.

Even with his years of experience as a civilian scientist in the U.S. Navy, Groutage still credits his early years in Wyoming and at the university for much of his success.

“I worked on ranches. I worked in the oil fi elds as a roughneck, on the fl oor of an oil rig to earn money to go to the University of Wyoming. I was a hard-working individual for a long time. I know exactly what it means to roll up your sleeves and do manual labor. It taught me the value of hard work and allowed me to attend the university.”


Do your researchTo fi nd a good internship you need to do your

research. First, you should take advantage of the sources you

know. Ask your advisor what they know. Since they’re in your fi eld chances are they’ll know how to point

you in the right direction. You should also swing by your department’s main offi ce and dig through what they have. Your department offi ce will have plenty of information to get you started and on you’re way to a successful internship hunt.

Working with a campus career counselor can also prove greatly benefi cial since they have many connections to recruiters on campus and know where other students have interned in your fi eld, according to Peter Vogt of monstertrak.com. Th e career counselors on campus can be found on the second fl oor of the east wing of Knight Hall.

Libraries and most bookstores can also good places to get started with internship directories. Internship directories list internship programs around the country.

Other places to look for a good internship are creditable Web sites like monstertrak.com, fi ndtuition.com, fastweb.com and UW’s Center for Advising and Career Services’ Web site on uwyo.edu/cacs. Web sites like these off er many links to internships and help you weed through the muck that you’ll fi nd when surfi ng the internet. Sites like these can also off er to keep you posted on the latest and greatest internships out

there. Th ey are a good and easy way to get started and stay connected.

Decide what’s best for youBefore applying you should think about what kind

of internship is right for you. First, think about location. Find out were the internship will be and decide whether

you are willing to move there or not. And even if you are willing to move to a new location, you have to think about whether you will be able to fi nd a place to live short-term.

Money off ers are also important to consider when looking at internships. Most internships won’t pay more than a small stipend, but some will at least off er to cover some living expenses. But you must remember you’re not in an internship for the money.

Conquer the application processAfter you have found the right internship, it is time to

apply. Tami Browning, internship coordinator for CACS, said that getting an internship is “pretty much like getting

a full time job.”Applications for internships often ask for a résumé, in

which you should include any jobs or work you have had that apply to the fi eld. If you don’t have much job experience to put on your résumé feel free to put any relevant coarse work, or even any work at all to show the company that you can handle a job. Nothing kills an application like an empty résumé.

Hands-on EducationTips to finding a good internship

By Travis Hoff

2

A good internship is valued as one of the greatest sources of education when preparing for a career. The experience of an internship can equip you with skills and knowledge that the classroom could never give you. But a good

internship can be hard to come by. Here are a few tips on how to get the best internship out there.

1

3

Photo by Malerie K. Stroppel

45

Many employers will ask for more than just a résumé. Th ey may ask for samples of work, transcripts or an essay.

Cover letters, especially a letter of application in this circumstance, are also something many employers will want. A Letter of Application is sent along with your résumé and anything else the employer asked for. Cover letters have to be neat and error free. Avoid long sentences and wordiness. Th ey should be personalized for each application, which doesn’t mean just changing the name of the company. You need to research the company and those you will be sending the letter to.

After applying some employers may ask you for an interview. Being prepared for the interview is crucial. Th e offi ces of CACS have many resources to help you prepare for an interview, including tips that will help you think of what the interviewer may ask you, sample interview questions and how to dress.

Make the most of the opportunityOnce you get your internship it’s important that

you make the most of it. Getting a good internship isn’t easy and shouldn’t be wasted.

According to Dr. Randall S. Hansen, there are some easy ways to get all that you can out of your internship. The first thing to do is set personal goals and realistic expectations of what you want from your internship. Whether your goal is to further what you have learned in school or simply create connections in the field, it will give a greater sense accomplishment in the end.

Second make sure stay in contact with your supervisor. In the corporate world things are busy and it can be easy for your supervisor to put you on the back burner. Keep yourself on your supervisor’s mind and he’ll keep you busy.

Third, stay positive. Being the “lowly intern,” you will get grunt work that will seem unnecessary. Keep you chin high, stay positive and professional and your work will change for the better.

And remember, to get all you can out of an internship, you have to take all you can. Get to know everyone you can and take advantage of everything you’re told to do. Gladly take any assignment given to you and go to any meeting offered to you. If you don’t understand an assignment, ask questions. You’re there to learn so you won’t know everything. Internships are all about experience, so what good is an internship if you don’t take it as your responsibility to really experience it?

Get going!Convinced that you want to do an internship?

Here’s some information to get you on your way:Browning and the staff at the CACS can prove to be a

valuable tool. Th ey have a resource library full of useful information. Th ey can set you up with many resources to help you along the way including registering you with eRecruiting, and doing a practice interview. To set up an appointment call 766-2398 or stop by Knight Hall.


By the time fi nals week is over this May, most students at the University of Wyoming

will be ready for a well-deserved break. With summer stretching out ahead, academics are the last thing on the mind of the average student.

But not everyone chooses a school-free summer. Some brave souls will enroll in UW’s Summer Session, which off ers over 400 courses ranging from agriculture economics to Japanese Culture, to be taken between May 15 and Aug. 4. Summer Session also gives students more opportunities to take fi eld courses, do research and study abroad without the constraints of a normal semester.

Many students have chosen to enroll in past Summer Sessions, including Rachel Griess, a senior in microbiology. Griess sees defi nite benefi ts to attending school during the summer months. “I feel like you learn more,” she commented.

Classes range in duration from one to 12 weeks. Griess commented that it’s easier to take a class every day over a shorter period of time and that there’s “less to worry about” so a summer class is less stressful than normal university courses.

Th e Summer Session course listing can be found at uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/summer/. To obtain information by telephone, call 1-800-733-SUMR.

School’s out for Summer? By Liana Przygocki

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Photo Illustration

Photo Illustration


Leaving the Stomping Grounds

Are Wyoming graduates running for the border?

Photos by Malerie K. Stroppel

By Ron Bronson, Jr.

It’s a popular refrain that has been repeated in political campaigns, college campuses and books. As soon as Wyoming graduates walk

across the stage to collect their college diplomas, they are getting into their cars and making a run for the border — the Colorado border that is.

For many young University of Wyo-ming students, one theme is common: Students, such as Jen Klinesmith, a so-cial worker from Sheridan, love the Wyo-ming way of life. They would love to raise families in Wyoming, but don’t see a way

to do that with jobs not being spread out among different sectors.

Klinesmith is hardly alone. Many young people, as well as older ones, cite the quality of life, lack of congestion and enjoyment of wide open spaces as some of the reasons they truly appreciate Wyo-ming and want to stay. For those who en-joy the outdoors, Wyoming is a paradise.

But instead of UW, Klinesmith opted to attend a private liberal arts college in Illinois. She said her time at Knox College was a good experience, but she felt it was important to come back home for a while

to get established, as there was clearly a lack of young people with degrees returning to work in the community.

As a psychology major, finding a job wasn’t nearly as difficult as it has been for others from Wyoming who went to out-of-state colleges. She said she was fortunate because she managed to find a few opportunities soon after she graduates. She heard of people from Ivy League schools who could not find jobs in Wyoming because many employers prefer to hire people with experience rather than college degrees.

Photo Illustration

Courtesy

16 • Frontiers 2006Courtesy

Th e problem for Wyoming gradu-ates who stay and have an interest in starting families has been exacerbated by the energy boom, resulting in an in-crease of the cost of living, while wages have failed to keep pace. Th is is espe-cially troubling for those who take jobs out of Wyoming’s boom career fi elds in mining and energy.

According to the U.S. Census Bu-reau, the median income for a family of four in Wyoming for Fiscal Year 2006 is $56,065. While this is higher than a num-ber of states in the South such as Texas ($54,554), Oklahoma ($50,216), Alabama ($55,448) and even Montana ($49,124) to the north, it dwarfs neighboring states Utah ($62,032), South Dakota ($59,272) and the economic behemoth to the south, Colorado ($71,559).

For some though, the issue is about more than just money. It’s about peace of mind. Attorney Robert Ingram is origi-nally from Pennsylvania. A 2005 UW Law School graduate, Ingram opted to remain with his family here in Laramie upon graduation rather than heading back East where he could have made more money.

“For me, it gave me a better feeling that I didn’t have to lock my doors at night, have good schools for my kids and a community where I felt comfortable and safe,” he said.

Th roughout the state, leaders have been working hard to convince more graduates — such as Ingram — that there is a place for them here in Wyoming.

Of those from the 2005 UW graduat-ing class who were off ered positions in Wyoming, only 39 percent accepted.

But when it comes to creating jobs, the state creates jobs that young people don’t want. A state report in 2005 showed almost half of new jobs cre-ated in the state dur-ing a 12-month period were in the minerals industry.

By contrast, only about 500 new jobs were created in the business and profes-sional services sector – which includes posi-tions ranging from entrepreneurs, pro-fessionals such as doctors and lawyers, as well as adminis-trative paraprofes-sionals such as sec-retaries.

Th e result is a transient workforce, comprised largely of single men who are often hard-pressed to put down roots in a place where there is a backlog of social services in place.

According to an Associated Press story from March 2006, social service of-fi cials in Sweetwater County, Wyo., have reported sharp increases in demands for child care and health care for the swarm of newcomers and have reported prob-lems seeking out staff to keep up with the demands for around-the-clock care for many working parents in the oil and gas industry.

“As a state, we are not focused on the next thing,” said Ladd.

Instead of focusing on what other states are doing, Ladd said the solu-tions are in the private market and that Wyoming needs to hone in on ways it can make itself more attractive to people who are here, as well as newcomers.

“State government should do less, but it should do the things it’s supposed to do better,” he said.

One possible innovation would be a fi rst-in-the-nation portable statewide health care system, which would cover individuals anywhere in the state of Wy-oming, allowing employers to contrib-ute a portion to the employees’ health care plan. Th is is particularly attractive to small business owners and entrepre-neurs seeking to start new businesses.

Th is is similar to a plan proposed by President Bush last year that would al-

low workers to determine how much they would contribute to their health care plan, but whatever they contributed would be tax free at the federal level and is already tax free in Wyoming, due to the absence of a state income tax.

Such statewide innovations would put Wyoming on the forefront nation-ally and could be part of what changes the perception that many people from inside the state deal with those in other states who think of the Cowboy State as being “backwards.” Some ways to com-bat these myths could include embrac-ing diversity as well as welcoming new-comers who come to the state looking for a change of pace or upward mobility.

To make matters worse for some, the real issue is bigger than just income and includes a concern over the lack of lifestyle off erings such as theatre, restau-rants and other cultural opportunities. Th ese were all common themes cited in several community town hall meetings sponsored by the Wyoming Council for the Humanities last year.

Th e brain drain of youth is hardly a problem confi ned to Wyoming. Over the past half decade, there have been a vari-ety of media reports about the abandon-ment of rural areas throughout the coun-try, by young professionals and college graduates seeking out something more than the rural life they grew up with.

Th e way Wyoming and its govern-ment choose to approach the challenges ahead will determine the course of the state well into the future. ff

By Malerie K. Stroppel

Th e other day I was at the gym leafi ng through the magazines, trying to decide what I would read while working out. I pulled out a Glamour magazine and started to walk towards the elliptical machines. As I looked down at the magazine cover, something caught my eye, and it wasn’t an article or the cover model. It was what was written over the cover model’s face. Th e model, who looked like any other Glamour cover model, had “not pretty enough to be on the cover” written across her face.

I was so upset by this that I stopped and stared at it. I couldn’t imagine how someone could think the cover model on the latest issue of Glamour wasn’t “pretty enough.” I just shook my head and continued over to the machines.

Looking back now, I’m not sure why the statement scribbled over the cover model’s face surprised me. Americans are becoming so obsessed with image that no one can really be “pretty enough” anymore. And the biggest obsession we’re faced with could possibly be the most dangerous: thinness.

As the average size of Americans increases, the size of models and celebrities, especially women, is decreasing. According to a study done by Marie Claire, about one-third of the women on television are dangerously underweight when in actuality, about one in four American women are overweight. And this misrepresentation is causing problems everywhere. Discrimination against fat people is everywhere, and anorexia and bulimia are becoming a common thing among women and especially teenage girls.

But why is it that, in the land of the free, where Americans have struck out against homophobia, sexism and racism, we still have such heavy prejudices against people simply because of their weight? Frontiers takes a look into America’s obsession with thinness and the problems it causes, including fat discrimination and anorexia, and what Americans can do about it.

Frontiers 2006 • 17Courtesy

America’s obsession with thinness and the fi ght

against fat discrimination

THE FAT SUIT FADYou’ve seen it in “Shallow Hal.”

Julia Roberts donned one in America’s Sweetheart. Th en there was “Just Friends” and model Tyra Banks. “Fat Monica” fl ashbacks appear several times on “Friends.” Th e fat suit has become one of Hollywood’s newest trends, but what message is it really sending to Americans?

Many have compared the “fat drag” to blackface. And many agree it’s nothing more than a slap in the face to those who are truly fat.

“By now, the cardinal rule of humor – you can only make fun of a group if you’re part of it — is familiar enough to be a punch line itself. But fat people are the last remaining exception….With a real fat (person) in the lead, the movie wouldn’t be funny – it would just be uncomfortable,” said Marisa Meltzer in her article “Hollywood’s Big New Minstrel Show.” “We all know that Julia, Goldie and Gwyneth will return to their slender glory for the next part, and that’s comforting – because otherwise we would have to confront the mean-spiritedness behind the giggles.”

And fat suits in the movies aren’t the only ones raising eyebrows. Recently,

both Tyra Banks and Vanessa Manillo shimmied into fat suits for a day to see “the every day prejudices facing America’s weight-challenged women.”

But many people feel that these two super-skinny, usually size two models could never truly feel what it’s like being fat, even if they have spent a day in a fat suit.

“Th e thing is, it’s NOT the ‘stares’ and ‘comments’ that are the REAL problem of being fat. Th ose you could ignore. It’s not being able to get access to adequate health care… not being able to get a job… constantly being “educated” by friends, family and strangers alike in what you ‘should’ do to ‘take better care of yourself’… the world DOES treat fat people VERY diff erently from how it treats thin people — but not in ways you’d fi nd out from a day in a fat suit,” said one posting on bigfatblog.com.

However, Paul Campos, a law professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and author of “Th e Obesity Myth,” says that awareness is a start.

“Hollywood is focusing on fat today in the same say that Hollywood in the 1930s focused on the black face,” Campos said. “Th e popularity of the fat suit is proof that Americans are starting

to realize there’s something deeply problematic with our obsession with weight.”

LAND OF THE FREESo far, there are no federal laws

banning discrimination based on appearance.

Overall, there are very few places that have any laws that make discrimination based on appearance illegal:

● Michigan● San Francisco ● Santa Cruz, Calif.● Washington, D.C.Even without laws, UW

students can still help prevent fat discrimination and negative feelings towards body image. Students can do it “the same way that people of all ages can fi ght discrimination,” said Suzanne Pelican, food and nutrition specialist with the cooperative extension service in the College of Agriculture’s family and consumer sciences department. “Refuse to judge other individuals on the basis of their appearance, whether that be gender, age, size, skin color, etc., and speak up in defense of others who are being discriminated against or otherwise mistreated on the basis of their appearance.”


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Courtesy of the L.A. Times


FIGHTING FAT DISCRIMINATION

With all the discrimination against fat people, one person is standing up and making herself heard. Marilyn Wann,

creator of FAT!SO?, a hot pink magazine, Web site and book, is making sure that everyone knows she’s fat and proud of it.

Wann says her work builds on the civil rights movements. Her work eventually saw a landmark antidiscrimination ordi-nance regarding height and weight pass in San Francisco, where she now lives and regularly speaks to high school and col-lege students about body image.

Wann’s movement really began on one really bad day, October 26, 1993. Her boyfriend had broken up with her, telling her she was too embarrassing to introduce to his friends.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Blue Cross of California decided not to cover her because of her weight

Then Wann decided to speak up and hasn’t stopped. She launched her magazine, which was an instant hit and even showed up on “Oprah,” MTV and in The Washington Post. Now she’s planning another book tenta-tively titled “Fat!So? Rebel Handbook for Teens” and wants to start a fat camp. And she feels great about it all. As she said in an interview with Michelle Gold-berg, “Life’s too short for self-hatred and it’s too short for celery sticks.”

Courtesy of the L.A. Times

Frontiers 2006 •

If that wasn’t bad enough, Blue Cross of California decided not to cover her because of her weight

Then Wann decided to speak up and hasn’t stopped. She launched her magazine, which was an instant hit and even showed up on “Oprah,” MTV and

The Washington Post.Now she’s planning another book tenta-tively titled “Fat!So? Rebel Handbook for Teens” and wants to start a fat camp. And she feels great

FAT DISCRIMINATIONHere are just a few of the ways fat

Americans, especially women, are being discriminated against:

On the job:A New York University study showed that an increase in body mass index meant a decrease in salary. At least for women – men saw no decrease in pay. A one percent increase in body mass index meant a plunge of 0.6 percent in income for women.

For better or worse:Studies have shown that fat women are less likely to get married and their divorce rates are higher.

On television:“When fat people appear on the screen

at all, we’re not the hero, we’re not the romantic lead; we’re the joke or the sidekick,” said fat activist Marilyn Wann. It only takes shows like “Fat Actress” and “Th e Biggest Loser” to prove this.

At the doctor:As stated in Marie Claire, a Yale University study showed that “family doctors and nurses, and even health professionals who specialize in treating obesity, have an anti-fat bias.” Th e study also found that obese women often “delay breast-cancer screenings, Pap smears and gynecological exams – and 12 percent of women delay or cancel doctor’s appointments due to weight concerns.” And, according to the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, health care facilities and equipment, such as cat scans and MRIs, are often inaccessible to large people.

In the air:For “safety reasons,” airlines are possibly one of the worst places for discrimina-

tion. According to Th e Badger (Uni-versity of Wisconsin – Madison)

Herald’s Web site, “commercial carriers have minimum and

maximum height require-ments — they claim that

short people (under 5-foot-2-inch) will have

diffi culty reaching overhead compart-ments and tall peo-ple will fi nd long journeys in small galleys too confi n-ing. Once hired, fl ight attendants must maintain a proportionate height to weight ratio and stay physically fi t.”


EATING DISORDERS IN AMERICA• About eight million Americans have

an eating disorder: seven million women and one million men.

• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone who suffers from an eating disorder.

• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses.

• Only about 30-40 percent of anorexics every fully recover from the illness.

• About 20 percent of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including heart disease.

• The average cost of a month of inpatient treatment for eating disorders is roughly $30,000, with around three to six months needed for the average patient. Generally, health insurances do not cover the cost of treating eating disorders.

• 95 percent of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.

Source: South Carolina Department of Mental Health

HEALTH AT EVERY SIZETh e Health At Every Size, or HAES,

paradigm goes against all existing thoughts about obesity, dismissing the idea that obesity is a physiological disease that can be cured or managed with proper treatments.

HAES is a newer approach that en-courages people to stop focusing on weight and start focusing on

well-being and the acceptance of diversi-ties in body shapes.

“Our society’s obsession with appear-ance misleads many people into thinking that looking like celebrities and other media images should be one of life’s pri-mary goals,” said Suzanne Pelican, food and nutrition specialist with the coop-erative extension service in the College of Agriculture’s family and consumer sci-ences department. “Such an orientation keeps individuals not only from reaching

their full potential in whatever skill, pro-fession, or other life calling they pursue but from ever getting beyond the shallow perspective created by self-absorption. Th is narrow focus on appearances can seriously interfere with people becom-ing fulfi lled as family members, friends, community members, or citizens.”

Th is paradigm views the dieting and weight loss obsession in America as dan-gerous and unhealthful. HAES says the weight loss obsession also encourages an obsession for thinness that is not con-sistent with the natural diversity in body

types. Instead, under this new para-digm “the individual is motivated

to stop dieting and exercising solely for the purpose of losing

weight and to develop skills to recognize what his or her

body wants and needs. (It) proposes that health is a

result of behaviors that are independent of body weight,” ac-cording to the Jour-nal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

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Photo courtesy of Larry Kirkwood

Painting by Kara Peterson


THE BODY IMAGE PROJECT

We all have to take personal responsibility for how we choose to look at things. Change can happen, but it will take a concerted effort by many people.

Th e Body Image Project is art that shows human beings as they really are. Larry Kirkwood, the artist, started the project in late 1993 to try to change the way we all look at ourselves and to show that

everyone is truly beautiful. In the project, Kirkwood

makes casts of volunteers of both sexes and every shape and size. He focuses on the parts of the body used most to sell products: from the neck to the mid thigh. Th e casts are faceless to provide anonymity and so viewers won’t simply focus on facial expressions.

Th e casts are meant to break apart the belief that the

thin ideal portrayed by the media is the only way people should be. Kirkwood focuses his message on the belief that a healthy body should be the ‘ideal,’ and that health does not necessarily relate to size.

Th e project is broken into two parts: viewing and participation. Viewers can see what real people look like. And the participants

who have casts made are exposed to a new experience that allows them to “step outside themselves,” according to Kirkwood. A lot of times, the experience is very positive for the participants.

So far, Kirkwood has worked with over 500 people from 15 to 77 years old. He has shown his exhibit at about 68 colleges, including the University of Wyoming in the spring of 2002. Th e University of Wyoming has even released a 50-minute documentary about the project.

Although Kirkwood’s project has received much attention and changed the ways many think about the human body, Kirkwood believes we are all individually responsible for our actions and thoughts. In a recent article in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Kirkwood said, “We all have to take personal responsibility for how we choose to look at things. Change can happen, but it will take a concerted eff ort by many people.”

Photo courtesy of Larry Kirkwood

63% said they believed themselves to be an “average weight.”

57% said they wished they were thinner.

16% of the students polled said they would rather drop out of college than gain 25 pounds.

27% said they would like to see more fat people on the covers of magazines.

36% said they thought thin people are healthier than fat people.

31% said seeing an extremely thin person makes them feel uncomfortable.

27% said they were disgusted when they saw a fat person eating junk food.

27% said when they see an extremely thin person, they

think “that person probably has some kind of physical or mental illness, or and eating disorder.”

23% said they thought fat people were lazy.

33% said they thought models are more attractive than the average person.

60% said they thought bodies of models in the media are not achievable.

How Does UW Feel?Are people at the University of Wyoming obsessed with thinness? Frontiers surveyed nearly 200 UW students and faculty to fi nd out.

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The outdoors never looked better

Photos by Lindsey Korsick and Lyle McKissick

Incompleteness is what gives Moab, Utah its mystique, with its large, tall arches and deep, wide canyons

revealing vast open space and clear skies. Th is past spring break allowed me to venture into Moab and experience its incompleteness fi rst hand. Hopefully, my experience will inspire you to do the same.

By Lindsey Korsick

A day-long drive from Southern Colorado through snow, sleet and rain finally gave way to the warmth and clear blue skies of eastern Utah. With two hours of daylight to burn before the cold night set in, my boyfriend Lyle and I hiked the Park Avenue trail. This short trail led between two rock faces, eventually opening to look over miles of Arches National Park.

Th e fi rst night of camping left us scrounging around the car for change as we realized we had a fee of $15 for the campsite. After the campsite was paid for and the site was set up, all we had to do was wait for darkness to fall.

Th e campsite we were at held a nightly seminar in their natural amphitheater. Th e night we attended, Ranger Shoemaker gathered the group around the fi re to tell tales of the days Moab was a Uranium rich town.

Th e following day, after a late start and some breakfast burritos, we started our exploration of Arches National Park.

Arches National Park lends itself to the type of hiker who wants to see the park, but doesn’t want to walk 10 miles to see each arch. Th e average hike is less than fi ve miles. Instead of hiking around the entire park, there is one road that branches off to each of the scenic trails.

Th e most well-known site in the park is the Delicate Arch, which decorates the Utah license plates. Th e arch is a defi nite must-see. Th e approximately 1.5 mile trail leads to the free standing arch with cliff s on both sides of it. While Delicate Arch is the most renowned arch, I personally found that my favorite arch was located just north of the Delicate Arch: the Twisted Donut.

Th ough the Twisted Donut was not even named on the map, I made a point to peer through it. It is a small arch that overlooks Delicate Arch and the surrounding mountain ranges. It is like a window to the entire park.

After a day of looking and climbing on the arches of Arches National Park, we headed to Canyonlands National Park to see what I would refer to as the “mini Grand Canyon” and worlds

apart from Arches National Park, despite the short distance between them.

After driving into the park on a large plateau, I was awestruck by what is appropriately named “Th e Neck.” Just past the ranger station, you drive down the road and immediately there are 1000-foot drop-off cliff s on either side of the car.

While Arches National Park has numerous short trails, Canyonlands is ridden with trails that encompass an entire day.

Th e fi rst morning left the park in a cloud, delaying our start by a couple of hours.


By Liana Przygocki

But, it allowed us to check out the Island in the Sky overlook. Th e overlook was a one mile round-trip trail that ended on a cliff overlooking the canyons and a giant island plateau, for which it gets its name.

Th e clouds lifted and the afternoon temperature rose as we embarked on what we thought was a “mild” loop day hike. We were wrong, but not disappointed.

Th e Syncline Loop trail was said to be an intermediate eight and a half mile trail. We hiked until we were starring down a rocky cliff that appeared to have switchbacks down to the base of the canyon. With the thought that we might as well do it while we were there, we began our decent. After two and a half hours climbing down into a dried out river bed at the bottom of the canyon, the only idea running through my head was we have to climb out of the thing. To make things worse, the tail was narrow with lots of little rocks and one big cliff . But I’m always up for a challenge, and I defi nitely got what I was looking for. We made it out of the canyon about two and a half hours later, and the only thing on my mind was the hot

dogs and beans waiting for me back at the campsite. I look back now and realize how amazing that hike was,

but if you aren’t looking for some extreme hiking, I don’t think I would point in the direction of that trail.

With one more night under the desert stars, we planned to rise early to catch a sunrise before we hit the road. While we missed the sun breaking over the canyon cliff s, we did make it in time to fi nd the sun rising through a large, wide arch near the entrance of the park. We were joined in our viewing by a half-dozen photographers, and a photo shoot for an outdoors magazine. To me it was the perfect way to end the trip and begin a long ride back home.

Incompleteness is sometimes the most amazing. Th e arches and canyons surrounding Moab, Utah are natural wonders that can be seen by anyone who takes the time to visit. Th ere are places around the world that no one ever spends the time to check out. If you ever have a couple days open, and desire an adventure including some beautiful natural scenes, Moab is defi nitely a place worth exploring.

Summer in Laramie a pleasant surprise


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Although the town defi nitely slows down during the summer months, Laramie still has plenty to off er both in the community and on campus.

Dan McCoy of the University of Wyoming’s Outdoor Adventure Program says that the OAP is leading trips throughout much of the summer. May, June and August will bring opportunities to take river trips and go white-water kayaking, rock climbing and backpacking. “Summer’s just a great time to be in Laramie,” McCoy said, describing warm and sun-drenched days at nearby Vedauwoo.

Many others would agree with McCoy, including Rachel Griess, a senior in microbiology. Griess said that she has

fun by going to the mountains and nearby Crow Reservoir, as well as just walking around Laramie.

“Th e benefi ts of summer are great,” she said.

Th ere are many other summer hap-penings in Laramie, like farmer’s mar-ket, which is held on Sunday afternoons, or the notoriously wild and crazy Jubilee Days, which take place in early July and fea-tures a rodeo, a Fourth of July celebration, s t r e e t

dances with local bands and a carnival. Th e local music scene will also be

in full swing this summer with concerts, many of which are free. For a mellower outing, take a walk through the Greenbelt along the Laramie River. Visit the UW art museum or the Territorial Prison, or walk around downtown, where there are plenty of stores and restaurants.

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Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease is becoming a signifi cant problem for Wyoming wildlife. Biologists can merely predict

the long-term impact that CWD will have on wild populations of deer and elk. Researchers are still unsure of the mode of transmission of the disease, though they have demonstrated it can be transmitted from animal to animal. At the University of Wyoming professor Randolph Lewis in the Department of Molecular Biology and his research team are engaged in fi nding more sensitive assays to detect the transmission of CWD. Th e outcomes of this research will help prevent the spreading of the disease. Lewis’ research work will also be useful in solving the mysteries of other disease caused by prion. Th e research initiative to study CWD was fi rst taken by Dr. Beth Williams in 2003. She was one of the nation’s foremost experts on CWD. “After her sudden death last year, I took over the responsibility of helping to fi nish her work,” Lewis said.

UW is one of the leaders in the study of the transmission of CWD. Th e Department of Defense through the Offi ce of Army Research awarded $2 million to a project on CWD involving UW, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Prion, short for a proteinaceous infectious particle, are infectious protein structures that propagate through the conversion of normal host proteins of the same type. Th e exact mechanisms for the transformation of prion protein are not completely understood, but they are responsible for a number of previously known but little understood diseases generally classifi ed under transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diseases, TSEs, including CWD.

Lewis, more widely known for his research work on spider silk protein, is now trying to fi nd out how the prion

protein causing CWD spreads. “Spider silk protein and prion

protein behave in the same pattern. Spider silk protein transforms from soluble to insoluble to produce fi ber. Th e prion protein is also changing its shape and becomes insoluble. In the case of spider silk, it takes just few seconds while for prion it takes years to decades to do the same thing. Th e major diff erence is the time period,” Lewis said.

Since the fi rst evidence of CWD was found in March, 1981, wildlife offi cials have been unable to prevent the spread of the disease. In late stages of the disease, infected animals are less able to feed, have diffi culty standing and ultimately die due to starvation. Th e disease is spreading steadily but slowly. Until 2000, CWD was confi ned to northeast Colorado and southeast Wyoming. It is now also found in Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Illinois. Whether this is due to increased surveillance or to actual spread of the disease is unknown.

“We are really studying how the disease is transmitted from one animal to another animal. Th e prion is actually a protein. Th ere is no absolute proof that it is only the protein but there is no evidence of any genetic material,” Lewis said.

Th e infected protein is mainly transferred during feeding. After entering into the body, it makes its way into the brain and it converts the normal brain protein to abnormal protein. “Th at leads to disease. Nobody knows the mechanism of the spontaneous change of the brain protein,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ research work on CWD has two main objectives.

“Our fi rst objective is to come up with a sensitive assay of the infective protein. In order to follow how it is transmitted, we have to detect in very low levels. Th e second objective is

to measure and determine how the protein gets out of the infected animal,” Lewis said.

Four potential ways that an infected animal might release the prion protein are through feces, urine, saliva and blood. Th e most likely of the four sources is feces, because it is easily eaten by other animals.

Lewis collaborates with Dr. Mike Miller, wildlife veterinarian for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Miller, at the Division of Wildlife’s Foothills Research Unit in Fort Collins, has infected 25 white tail deer and 25 mule deer. “Th ey were infected orally not injected, to mimic what happens naturally. Every fi ve-to-six-weeks they are collecting samples of faces, urine, saliva and blood. We are looking at all samples from before they were infected to all the infection stages,” Lewis said.

Dr. Terry Kreeger, wildlife veterinarian of the Wyoming Game and Fish department is following the same process with elk. “They are collecting all the samples and we are doing the assay for the infected protein. We will look at all of the samples and determine how early in infection these infected proteins are passed out of the animals and where it is passed out which will give us a strong clue of how it is transmitted,” Lewis said. “Once we know that, then we can measure the amount of protein in the environment. We can find the source of infected material and how animal picked them up.”

Lewis’ initiative will suggest the mode of transmission of CWD and its further proliferation to unaffected animals. “Suppose, if we find out that the infected protein is coming out of the feces, we can suggest not keeping a large number of animals grazing on the same place. If we find that it comes out through saliva, we can suggest removing infected animals as soon as possible,” Lewis said.

UW’s initiative to reveal the transmission pathwaysBy Amitava Chatterjee



The Man of Steel returns, Captain Jack Sparrow sails again, Dark Phoenix is unleashed, Ethan Hunt attempts the impossible once again, Mel Gibson brings a city of ruin to life and the Da Vinci Code is examined, all in the blockbuster, summer movie months of 2006.

“Star Wars: Episode III,” “War of the Worlds,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “King Kong,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Batman Begins” made up six of the top 10 grossing movies last year. Sequels and remakes certainly made money last year, but total box office sales were down nearly eight percent from 2004. But now, after a year of falling box office sales, Hollywood has lined up some powerful sequels, remakes, and originals that may put Hollywood back on-top, and movie-goers back into the seats.

This year, sequels like “Superman Returns,” “X-Men 3,” and “Mission Impossible 3” carry not only big reputations, but big budgets and big directors.

“The Da Vinci Code”Release date: May 19

“The Da Vinci Code,” one of the most anticipated book adaptations in recent years, will be revealed this May. The popular novel, written by Dan Brown and released in March, 2003, digs at the foundation of Catholic theology and the secrets of the Vatican.

Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon, a Harvard symboligist who begins to uncover clues about the Catholic Church hidden in the works of Da Vinci. Hanks is joined by Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany and many others in this theological thriller. After a box knockout with “Cinderella Man,” which grossed a mere $61 million, $27 million short of earning back its production budget, Ron Howard is coaching another star-studded cast that may give him the one-two combination to box office victory.

“Mission Impossible: 3”Release date: May 5

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, an IMF agent with yet another impossible mission – if he chooses to accept it – in the third installment of “Mission Impossible.” Directed by J.J. Abrams, from TV’s “Lost” and “Alias”, “MI:3” is in good hands after a mediocre attempt by director John Woo six years ago with “MI:2.”

Ving Rhames returns as the computer hacker Luther, and Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman joins the cast as the villain. The “Mission Impossible” series has been known for some great stunts, all done by Cruise himself, and memorable heists, and with director J.J. Abrams at the helm, “MI:3” should prove worthy.

“The Departed, World Trade Center”Release date: August

And finally, Oliver Stone takes on an extremely difficult task with his movie tentatively titled “World Trade Center.” The focus of the film is not the attack in general, but the rescue and stories of survival of the people buried in the rubble. The plot follows the true story of two Port Authority police officers, John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno, who were the last two survivors to be pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center buildings. For anyone living after the events of 9/11, this movie should hit home.

Summer Movie ReviewBy Jason Nelson

Fox Theatre photos by Christopher Buehler; Movie poster photos courtesy of IMDB


“X-Men 3: The Last Stand”Release date: May 26

Another highly anticipated sequel to complete a series trifector is “X-Men 3.” Director Brett Ratner, from “Rush Hour” and “Rush Hour 2,” has some big shoes to fill after the success of the first two X-Men movies with director Bryan Singer. The original X-Men cast is back, now joined by a few more mutants including the Beast played by Kelsey Grammer.

Famke Jannsen, who plays Jean Grey, is resurrected after sacrificing her life for the safety of her fellow X-Men. She returns as Phoenix, a mutant with powers beyond control that threatens the lives of everyone, including her mutant comrades. A cure is discovered to stop her transformation, which sets up our battle between Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants vs. Professor X and the X-Men. The series has been one of the most successful comic book adaptations yet, and a lot of weight is riding on the third installment to be successful.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”Release date: July 7

Johnny Depp laces up his knickers again in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” the second in the series of three “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. Th is time, the fl amboyant Jack Sparrow must repay a debt owed to Davy Jones, a debt that can only be repaid by sacrifi cing his soul. Sparrow turns to Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom, and Elizabeth Swann, played by Keira Knightley, for help, destroying the couple’s wedding plans and dragging them on another sea adventure. Th e fi rst movie was not only one of the highest grossing fi lms of 2003, but also earned Depp an Oscar nomination for his pirate prancing performance, an image he credits as being modeled after the Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards.

“Pirates of the Caribbean 3” was shot simultaneously with “Dead Man’s Chest,” but isn’t scheduled to be released until sometime in 2007.

With many of the summer movies having more adult oriented themes, “Dead Man’s Chest” should bring more kids to the theatre, which increases the age range of movie watchers and should mean huge ticket sales for Disney.

“Miami Vice”Release date: July 28

Jamie Foxx has quickly climbed to the top of the food chain after winning an Oscar for “Ray” and is once again teaming with “Collateral” director Michael Mann for a T.V. adaptation of the popular 80s sitcom, “Miami Vice.” Collin Farrell co-stars in this hip action/drama.

TV adaptations in 2005 included “Bewitched,” “Dukes of Hazzard” and “Th e Honeymooners,” all of which were grilled by critics and suff ered at box offi ce. “Miami Vice” is lucky enough to have the creator and producer of the original TV series, Mann, involved in fi lm. Mann is a master at fi lming large metropolis areas and bringing an element of realism into his action, like in “Heat,” and “Miami Vice” may prove to be a hard-hitting underdog for this summer.

“Apocalypto”Release date: April 28

Mel Gibson will kick off the summer season with another epic called “Apocalypto,” a mythic action-adventure about the fall of the Mayan empire. Gibson’s name alone brings people to the box offi ce, and with the huge success (and controversy) of “Passion of the Christ,” “Apocalypto” will surely see box offi ce gold.

“Superman Returns”Release date: June 30

After a 19-year absence from the silver screen, Superman is back and under the direction of Bryan Singer, who also directed “X-Men” and “Th e Usual Suspects”. Singer has endured great success with “X-Men” and with a whopping $250 million budget, “Superman Returns” must live up to some high expectations.

Christopher Reeves has created an image of Superman that is hard to wash from the memory, so casting Superman was important for the next installment. A number of actors including Nicolas Cage, Ashton Kutcher, Brendan Fraiser, Josh Harnett and Paul Walker were all approached about being the next Superman.

Cage was cast at one point with director Tim Burton and a script called “Superman Lives.” Fans screamed bloody murder after Cage was rumored to be Superman. Brandon Routh, formally of TV’s “One Life to Live,” was eventually cast under the direction of Singer. Routh is joined by Kevin Spacy, Kate Bosworth and Parker Posey. Add to all of that the return of Marlon Brando, who is sure to further hype this summer sequel. ff


The University of Wyoming student magazine

Volume XVIII, Issue 3

Summer Movie ReviewPage 26

at the University of Wyoming

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