The Magazine of The University of Montana

LETTERS

The Montanan welcomes letters to the editor. Please sign and include your graduating year or years of attendance, home address, and phone number or e-mail address.

Send them to: Montanan Editor,
325 Brantly Hall, Missoula, MT 59812
or themontanan@umontana.edu.

Because of space limitations, we are not able to include all letters sent to us. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. While universities are places of discussion where good people do not always agree, letters deemed potentially libelous or that malign a person or group will not be published. Opinions expressed in the Montanan do not necessarily reflect those of The University of Montana.

Dreams of a ’nation’

I enjoyed reading the article “The Brotherhood And The Business” in the fall 2009 Montanan and could not help but highlight another piece of the Griz Nation team—the Sugar Bears. My sister, Callie Yeager ’07, enjoyed her time on the UM Dance Team during 2003-06 and cherishes the thought that “Montana is the biggest small town in America,” as mentioned by [Colin] Dow in the article.

Callie now is a professional cheerleader for the Arizona Cardinals, illustrating that a UM dancer also can go pro. This small-town sweetheart from Conrad always had big dreams of becoming a professional cheerleader. After much hard work and sacrifice, she now has achieved that dream, but her heart will always be in Montana, specifically at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. “Nothing can compare to the energy you wake up to in Missoula on game day—you just feel it in the air. There is nothing like Griz Nation,” Callie told me.

Congratulations to all the Griz football players and dancers who have made it professionally. We are proud of you!

Vanessa Yeager Bucklin, M.B.A. ’04
Conrad

BALANCING ACT

I just finished reading the fall 2009 issue of the Montanan. This was the best ever! As I was reading, I was reminded of why I love Montana so much. I got a good chuckle thinking about my mother, who had a group of “boys,” as she referred to them, canoe past her cabin and stop to chat. She said they were apparently in some band that she had never heard of, but they seemed like awfully nice boys who were doing a lot of work at the place they had near hers. Turns out it was Jeff Ament and some of his Pearl Jam mates. No wonder Montana keeps them grounded. I especially enjoyed the focus on arts, sports, and science—a perfect balance of life at The University of Montana—and beyond.

Thanks for continuing to keep us grounded and up to date.

Maureen (Lassey) Rude ’85
Helena

known soldier

I loved the newest Montanan. The “Missoula soldier” pictured with Bobby Hauck on page twelve is my brother, Lieutenant Colonel John Mann, who is originally from Plentywood but now lives in Macon, Ga. (Incidentally, he graduated with a degree from MSU, but after four years at UM is a true Griz!) The picture ran in our local paper as well! Go Griz!

Kathy Mann Eberling ’91
Plentywood

PRO FAUX PAS

While reading the last issue of the Montanan, I noticed that my name was missing from among the list of players that played for the Griz and went on to the pros. I was a member of Coach Swarthout’s first recruiting class and played my final game for the Griz in fall 1968. I then returned back to my hometown of Baltimore, Md., and signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Colts. My professional football career was cut short because of the Vietnam conflict. I fulfilled my U.S. military obligations. (I was a member of the ROTC while attending UM.) This concludes my trek from Baltimore to UM to the pros. Forty-one years later I came back to UM with my wife to attend the Black Studies Reunion. We had a great time reconnecting with former classmates, instructors, and teammates.

Maceo J. Gray ’69
Scottsdale, Ariz.

Editor’s Note: The Montanan regrets the error. Gray was not named on the list of football athletes who turned pro given to us by UM’s Sports Information Department. He is now included on that roster.