Welcome to Homecoming week and midterms at the University of Wyoming. It is a week of fun and stress. The semester is halfway gone and I find it hard to believe how fast it has gone by. Because of my midterms, I have spent quite a bit of time in the College of Ag studying.
From my plant id quizzes to my soils genesis test, I have been learning about many aspects of my rangeland ecology major. While I extremely dislike midterms, I find the topics very interesting and try to see the exams as opportunity to demonstrate how much I have learned.
The UW Range club has been advertising the sale of firewood for several weeks now, and this week a few phone calls have been received about purchasing some cords. This meant that more wood had to be blocked and split. So on Wednesday to relieve some of the stress that had built up from studying for midterms, I helped block and stack a couple cords of wood at Range club woodlot.
While all of students are busy studying and taking their midterm exams, the university is holding several special events in honor of Homecoming. Friday morning was the Breakfast on the Lawn where the College of Ag had a table and was handing out free food. And I don’t know of a college student who doesn’t enjoy free food, especially breakfast food. At a later time on Friday afternoon, there was opportunity to hear Mikhail Gorbachev, the former President of the Soviet Union, speak to UW students and the public. It was quite an event to attend. Hearing such a notable figure of history speak was interesting and worth the time. My roommate called Mr. Gorbachev a “saucy old man.” I found this to be quite accurate.
Saturday brings with it the homecoming parade, which was as entertaining as before. The football game against UNLV rebels started at noon. It should be a good game. Go COWBOYS!
Mandy O’Donnell
Hi there! My name is Mandy O’Donnell. I am majoring in rangeland ecology and watershed management, which I hope to use back in my home state helping land owners and public land managers manage the resources. I am a native, born and raised, of Elko, Nevada. Growing up in the area around Elko, I was exposed to both mining and agriculture industries. My mother’s family owns a couple ranches in Northern Nevada which I grew up working on. My experiences on the ranches helped me develop a love of the agriculture industry and a connection to the land. My chosen major provided an avenue for me to work with both agriculture and the land. The University of Wyoming has one of the best range programs and excellent opportunities. I am a member of the UW range club and have met many professionals in the range. While the range club exposed me to new people, I saw the opportunity to be an Ag Ambassador as one where I could promote the industry I love.