Torin Perrett
I am a senior at the University of Wyoming. For the last three years, I have had the honor of wearing the brown, gold, and white uniform in the Western Thunder Marching Band. From the games at 12 p.m. to the games that went until 2 a.m., our loyal band was there.
From the games that were 95 degrees to those that were in the negatives, our loyal band was there. At every event, near or far, the loyal band was there. We loaded busses for hours to slip and slide through winter weather to get to our games to support Cowboys and Cowgirls in other cities and states.
Western Thunder Marching Band is part of the soul of Wyoming Cowboy Football.
You will find no bigger fans of our Cowboys than those in the band. The amount of blood, sweat, tears, and time that we have poured into this institution is staggering. I find that as our presence grows, the more we hear about how we not only affect the game atmosphere, but also the attitude and outlook of our fans.
The number of people who approach the band with simple messages of affirmation, love, and passion is why we’re there. Our season starts in August before football season and extends through March basketball. We work long hours to strive for perfection for our university, our players, and our community.
Therefore, it is deeply concerning to see the treatment of Western Thunder as the situation with COVID-19 evolves. The university preaches safety, security, and caution, but allows fans to take off their masks and get intimate at every game, continuing the spread of the virus freely.
Western Thunder (which has taken steps to ensure player safety, with playing masks and an abundance of social distancing), is the first institution on the chopping block. The mission of the university should be the safety of all while creating an environment that breeds success, not cases.
To reiterate, I am not upset that the band is being taken out of games, I am upset at the hypocrisy of the university placing monetary compensation over the soul of Wyoming Athletics.
As a benchmark of Wyoming sports, it is my belief that even if fans aren’t allowed into the stadium, the sound of Cowboy Joe played by a group of completely invested and dedicated Cowgirls and Cowboys should be reverberating through the bricks and stands of War Memorial.
