Cowgirl Up! celebrated the cowgirl and cowboy spirit found at the University of Wyoming by hosting their first event, a free dance party, Saturday, Sept. 24.
The Cowgirl Up! and Cowboy Up! movements, led by Mark Peterson in honor of his late wife, aim to inspire students and celebrate the strength of Wyomingites.
At the end of the night, Peterson presented a salute to the UW athletic teams for the support they offered him during his late wife’s passing.
“We’re putting a pandemic behind us, and we’re looking ahead; I think it’s all about that one word: ‘inspire,’” Peterson said. “People are rallying around, encouraging others that are facing big challenges.”
To help promote a positive atmosphere, the event was specifically “alcohol-free.”
“Somebody told me that is distinctive; on a Saturday night in Laramie a lot of the events have alcohol,” Peterson said, “But it’s just the joy of life. You don’t need behavior modifiers to experience that joy.”
Students in attendance overwhelmingly expressed positive views of the event.
“It’s super fun,” Noesjka Brink, a junior majoring in communications, said. “It’s a different way of spending time with my teammates and there are some people who I don’t really know.”
Many attendees were especially happy to see the return of events now that COVID-19 is not as much of a threat.
“It’s just fun to spend time here. I didn’t really spend time like this for the past two years. Because of COVID we didn’t have any like that, but I’m happy we do right now,” Ola Ustowska, a junior majoring in Psychology, said.
Despite the fact the dance peaked at around 50 attendees, event organizers were happy with the turn out and those in attendance were energetic.
“I think there should be more people; the more, the merrier,” Jefferson Danso, a senior majoring in Kinesiology, said. “But you can do with what you’ve got, and still have a good time; that’s what I’m doing.”
Peterson noted that the dance was a great start, but that Cowgirl Up! has more in the works to help the university celebrate and inspire.
“I’m very pleased. We had enthusiastic dancers, and I think the people that came appreciated the Cowgirl spirit,” Peterson said. “We look forward to more celebration of the Cowboy and Cowgirl spirit.”
