Wyoming
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It’s not that the quote itself is controversial, it’s who said the quote.
A small high school about 100 miles east of Lusk, Wyoming, raised some eyebrows this past week for their graduation announcement which prominently features an inspirational quote from O.J. Simpson.
“The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making excuses, that’s the day you start to the top,” is the quote and it’s credited to O.J.’s full name — Orenthal James Simpson.
The quote and the photo of the 19 graduating seniors of Hay Springs High School, in Hay Springs, Nebraska, is on the front page of an extra edition of the local newspaper, the Sheridan County Journal Star.
The edition was promoting the commencement of the graduating class, which was held on Saturday.
“Is This For Real?”
One former Cheyenne resident, who now lives in the Hay Springs area, thought the choice of O.J. Simpson was a bit unusual.
Shannon Smith, who ran the Wyoming Humanities Council from 2013 – 2020, posted a photo of the flyer on her Facebook page along with the statement, “It’s a great graduation sentiment, but…”
Of course it brought up a lot of responses. Many were absolutely certain it had to be a senior prank. While others thought the students — because of their age — probably didn’t know who he was or their faculty advisor was just asleep at the wheel.
Smith told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that she was “baffled” by it because she understands they have a “really solid school system.”
“They have a good faculty,” Smith said. “If it was intentionally done, they must have had a conversation and thought it through because I just can’t imagine that they don’t know who he is.”
All Approved
Smith was right. It was thought through and approved at the highest levels including by the superintendent of the school district, George Clear.
“Our senior class chose their quote, it was approved by administration including myself,” Clear told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday.
“I support my students engaging in a class vote and choosing their senior quote as they did,” Clear said. “I support the use of the quote in the commencement announcement.”
Ditto for the faculty advisor, Paula Holtmeier.
She said the students “liked the quote,” so they picked it.
“They weren’t born when OJ became notorious. It is not about the author, it is about the quote,” Holtmeier said.
Not A Prank
So, scratch the student prank theory. Everyone was involved in the decision, she said in a later email.
“There was discussion, both with the seniors and with administrators,” Holtmeier said. “The decision was that it is about the quote, not the name.”
“It is too bad that he didn’t live by it!” she added.
It took Greg Heiting, the school board president for Hay Springs Public Schools, by surprise.
“I had no idea,” Heiting said on Friday, who answered the phone while he was out planting corn.
No matter. He supported it anyway. He texted on Saturday that “we support our administration’s decision.”
Smith’s friends were still aghast, however.
“Apparently the editor was a Gen Zero and didn’t realize that Orenthal James is OJ – who never took responsibility for what he did,” Birch Tysko said.
Another made the observation that the better-known O.J. quote — although it’s more of an O.J.-adjacent quote is, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
No word if that quote was ever discussed, however.
Voltaire, Plato, Simpson
Back in Cheyenne, Mike Moser, one of the most well-known lobbyists in Wyoming and a graduate himself of Hay Springs High School, said he would not have chosen O.J. for this role.
“I would have never put OJ Simpson in the same category or inspirational category as luminaries such as Voltaire, Plato, or even Tom Osborne,” Moser said. “But OJ Simpson? Really? He didn’t even play for the Huskers.”
Jimmy Orr can be reached at jimmy@cowboystatedaily.com.
Wyoming voters will go to the polls in 2024 to vote for various local, state, and federal offices.
For local and state offices (other than school boards) the deadline for candidates to file is at the end of this month. Wyoming’s primary election is in August and the 2024 General Election is November 5.
So now is a good time to ask what issue you think Wyoming voters should be most concerned about.
If the last session of the legislature was any indication, high property taxes are a big concern for many state residents. While lawmakers did take some action on the issue, Governor Mark Gordon vetoed one bill and some feel that more needs to be done. Is that your top concern?
Another high-profile bill that was vetoed by the governor would have done away with most gun-free zones in Wyoming. Many gun rights advocates also feel that the Second Amendment is constantly threatened at the federal level. Are gun rights your top priority?
Housing remains a big issue in Wyoming, especially in communities such as Cheyenne, where finding a place to live can be a real challenge. It also impacts economic development efforts, because companies don’t want to locate in a community where employees can’t find a place to live.
Many state residents think it’s time for Wyoming to legalize cannabis. They point to the tax revenues being raised in places like Colorado, and they say like it or not, Wyoming money is going to states with legal weed. But others say pot is a dangerous drug and that legalization would bring increased crime and other issues.
There are many other issues too numerous to list here. That is why our poll has the option to write in your top issue if it isn’t one of the choices in our poll.
So what is your top issue in local and state elections in Wyoming in 2024?
Take our poll and give us your opinion!
Meet the Dinosaurs That Roamed Ancient Wyoming
Discover the mighty dinosaurs that roamed the Cowboy State, featuring information shared by the Geological Museum at the University of Wyoming. Learn about the types of dinosaurs that lived in pre-historic Wyoming, fun facts about them, and more.
Gallery Credit: Phylicia Peterson, Townsquare Media Laramie/Cheyenne
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