A recently-formed student group will host a Mario Kart tournament on Saturday, April 27 to raise both funds and awareness about their organization.
NORML Students at the University of Wyoming is a collegiate chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. They work to shift public opinion towards the repeal of marijuana prohibition. Brittany Thorpe, a second-year law student, founded the local chapter last semester, and since then, NORML Students has put on other events designed to heighten its profile.
“We hosted a super smash tournament back in February. It was a fun way to raise money, so the group decided to host another tournament based around a popular game,” she said. “We are trying to raise money for the club and awareness about our club.”
While there are many groups on campus who host video game tournaments, such as the Esports Club, NORML’s focus is not on video games. Instead, they use the money generated by these tournaments to further their goal of marijuana legalization statewide.
Colorado was the first state in the U.S. to legalize non-medical marijuana use in 2012 and currently over half of all states have decriminalized marijuana use in some way. Nine states across the country, including Colorado, have legalized it for recreational use. NORML’s goal is to add Wyoming to this list.
Their website states that “Students at the University of Wyoming support NORML’s mission of moving public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal sanctions.”
Saturday’s Mario Kart tournament is part of NORML’s larger goal to raise awareness about who they are and what they do. Rather than focusing on a more competitive and less accessible video game, like Super Smash Brothers, Thorpe picked Mario Kart for its inclusive nature, in the hopes that more casual gamers would come.
“Mario Kart is game that has been offered for most Nintendo systems,” she said. “Most people are familiar with it in one form or another. It has a loyal fan base and is fun for all ages.”
The tournament will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. in room 178 at the College of Law. All those interested are welcome to attend, though children will need to be supervised. The cost is five dollars at the door, but is free for dues-paying members of NORML.
Pull quote:
“We hosted a super smash tournament back in February. It was a fun way to raise money, so the group decided to host another tournament based around a popular game,” she said. – Brittany Thorpe
