Student Attitudes Regarding the Impact of the Murder of Mathew Shepard

The purpose of this study is to discover and understand the importance of the death of Matthew Shepard on the current students at the University of Wyoming. In end, I hope to answer the following question: Is Matthew Shepard's death and person a salient issue on the UW campus for students? If so, what is the surrounding discourse? In this discussion of discourse I will look at issues of Wyoming's "hate state" reputation, what is salient in contemporary student opinion, myth-making, and other themes identified in the research process. This research is two-fold. First students will be surveyed in public campus areas, and then offered an opportunity to participate in an interview to explain their perspectives.