Feedback: Spring 2025
Thoughts on Colorado’s Wolves
The “Welcoming The Wolf” article in the fall issue praising wolf reintroduction in Colorado’s high country gives a one-sided and false impression. Reintroducing wolves was a bad idea to start with, and the reality is even worse.
More than two dozen wolves have been shot by ranchers whose cattle have been attacked and eaten by wolves. Several more wolves have died of natural causes. It is expensive to reimburse the ranchers and to bring in replacement wolves.
Wasn’t the idea that wolves would keep the deer and elk populations in check? Well, deer and elk are fast and roam free. Cattle and other livestock are slow and en-fenced. The wolves have quickly learned which is the easier meal.
The legislation that enabled wolf reintroduction, Proposition 114, passed by the slimmest of margins, and was fueled by the populous urban vote. The Front Range voters knew little about the high country ecology and the ranching and farming industries. Why should they decide what is best for those areas?
Colorado is not the wilderness state it was a century ago. Trying to treat it as if it were is bound to fail. Bringing wolves to an ecology imagined to be something it isn’t can only have negative results.
Bill Allegar(Բ’71)
Denver
An Art Institution
Jim Green (MFA’78) was an institution in the art world — quite the Mr. Rogers, in fact, but one of your more successful art grads who touched millions with his sound sculpture. He wasknown mostly for his public art sound sculptures in airports, city sidewalks and museums.
Because you focused onKim Christinsen(Jour’84) a few years back as the “New Voice on the Train” (at DIA), I believe the creator of that public art piece, Jim Green, should be recognized. Kim was just one of many voices Jim recorded (in addition to Payton Manning, Lindsey Vonn, Adele Arakawa, Reynelda Muse, Michael B. Hancock and John Hickenlooper).
Green’s message to the world was clear, concise, positive and playful. He reminded us to be present, listen to the world around us, and most of all, not take ourselves too seriously.
Kathryn Charles(Thtr’90; MArtHist’94)
Denver
Conference Confusion
While I am very happy the Buffs are “Back to the Big 12,” it should be noted that the University of Colorado did not join the Big 8 for the 1948 football season, but rather joined the old Big 6 conference, originally formed in 1928 out of the old Missouri Valley Conference that dated back to 1907. CU turned the Big 6 into the Big 7 which eventually became the Big 8 when Oklahoma State joined in 1959 for the 1960 football season.
The expansion of the Big 8 into the Big 12 for the 1996 season, with the inclusion of four former members of the old Southwest Conference, was the last realignment in which the conference name aptly and accurately described the conference’s membership numerically rather than being a generic market brand name.
Francis Rexford Cooley (ᾱ’87)
Plainville, Connecticut
Major Change
The article “Major Change” [Fall 2024] was great, and I would like to forward it to some of my grandchildren who are approaching high school.
R. Howell(Acct’77; MBA’83)
Boca Raton, Florida
The Impact of Clare Small
The space noted in the “Artifact” section of the FallColoradan is the building historically known as the Dugout Cleaners. It’s now the home of Half-Fast Subs with residences upstairs. But that upstairs space was originally a large ballroom and gymnasium used before spaces like that were available on campus. It was here that the late Clare Small, founder of the Women’s P.E. department, rented space for women’s athletics as well as early dance classes (mostly folk and square dance). Clare was the driving force behind the creation of the Women’s Gym, which now bears her name. I knew Clare; she hired my mother during WWII as an accompanist for the burgeoning dance program. Mother had that job for over 30 years, during which time a degree-granting program was created in dance, and in 1960, with Clare’s blessing, dance moved to become part of the theater department.
William Arndt (ٷ’70)
Boulder
Introduction to a New World
I was saddened toread of the passing of one of my greatest mentors at CU, professor Douglas Burger. He imbued his classes with such infectious joy that his students couldn’t help but catch it.
Before I took his Shakespeare classes, the immortal Bard had befuddled me. But prof. Burger, being an accomplished Shakespearean actor in his life outside academia, reading with passion and proper thespian inflection, opened that world up to me.
He also taught a fantasy lit class that was a joy for many students, myself included. You had to sign up early for that class before it filled up.
Rather late in the game, Doug encouraged me to enroll in the English honors program. I was daunted, but with his help and guidance, I was enabled to graduate magna cum laude. That would not have happened without him. He was one of CU’s finest.
Bruce Allen (Բ’85)
San Francisco
Experience of a Lifetime
I just wanted to share that I loved my four years at University of Colorado. The first year I was in Williams Village and made great friends.
The next three I was near campus and started a fraternity with some friends that are more like brothers to me. The fall of my junior year, I took a semester abroad in Lugano, Switzerland, and that, too, was terrific.
After graduating in May 1989, I stayed a few weeks and then came back to West Hartford, Connecticut, where I grew up. I was very fortunate to have that experience at CU, and I still keep up with my college friends who are around the country.
Glenn Shafer (ᾱ’89)
West Hartford, Connecticut
Preference for Print
I’m in a household of CU alumni, and we’ve all lost contact with what’s happening in the CU world since we stopped receiving the print edition of the alumni magazine a few years ago. … It’s a pleasure to read things like this in print, and a chore to read online.
Justin McLean (ᾱ’93)
Stone Ridge, New York
Photo by Wes Magyar (Jim Green); Courtesy University of Colorado (Clare Small building)