On Tuesday, August 28, Robert Glennen, the interim president at the Univ. of Southern Colorado, hosted a luncheon for community leaders and supporters of the USC wrestling program.     Wrestling legend Dan Gable was the featured speaker at the luncheon, which included a number of major local business leaders and politicians, as well as USC wrestling coach Doug Moses.    Former USC president Tito Guerrero announced that USC had dropped its wrestling program in May. After Guerrero left for another job in Texas, interim President Glennen agreed to review the decision, but in mid-July announced that the school would not reinstate its nationally respected Div. II wrestling program.     Moses has been retained as an instructor at the university, and will coach a wrestling club program this year. Community leaders are continuing their efforts to work with the university to bring back wrestling as a varsity sport.    "Athletics is on the front burner," said Glennen, as he welcomed the visitors to the luncheon. "It is visible. It is an important aspect of university life. We have had a difficult situation with our wrestling program. We are looking for ways to revitalize wrestling and move forward. We will continue wrestling as a club sport and give the kids an opportunity to participate this year."     Gable, who has been a close friend of Doug Moses since they were high school teammates in Waterloo, Iowa, gave a compelling testimony about why wrestling should be included in the program at USC and about the value of the sport to the community.    "I am close to the world of wrestling, and I am close to this program," said Gable. "About 20 years ago, I came to the initial press conference when they started this program and hired Doug Moses."    Gable explained how in high school he would work out every morning before school started. The first year, Gable worked out by himself, but the second year, it was Moses who joined him for the morning training sessions.    "Every morning, I would drive two miles and pick him up at 6:15 a.m.," said Gable. "We'd drive to my house and go across the street to the gymnasium. At 7:30, when the other students came to school, they were used to seeing just me, but now it was the two of us. All of a sudden, he started winning a lot. Pretty soon, when they looked, they saw a whole team working out in the morning. It was an example of leadership."    Gable explained how important wrestling is to the state of Colorado and how the state high school tournament draws record crowds of fans.    "Colorado has more spectators than any other state in the United States," said Gable. "It is also very prevalent in the high schools. All of a sudden, they are graduating high school and they have to look close where to go to college. Very few have an opportunity in this state. Recently, we've taken another one away. You have a record number of kids in a traditional sport that's strong and they have very few places to go."    Gable talked about Title IX and its affect on wrestling and other men's sports programs.     "Being a sports and wrestling advocate, I am concerned about why sports are dropped," said Gable. "There are a lot of reasons and I'm not here to bash anybody. I have four daughters and one of them started last week at the Univ. of Iowa on a swimming scholarship. I support Title IX. I'm concerned about the lack of opportunities you have when you cut programs to reach Title IX. This is where Title IX is a problem. You have controversy and you have factions. You can't get things accomplished by eliminating things."    "I believe a broad based education fills more needs and desires," he continued. "Title IX is a good piece of legislation that could be better. For some reason, there has been an extraordinary amount of elimination of men's sports, not just in wrestling. I'm hoping we can perfect the law a little bit."    Gable appealed for people to take a reasonable approach to the problems in college athletics, including asking all involved to give something in return for maintaining opportunities. He asked leaders at USC to take a fresh look at the wrestling program and find creative solutions to help bring back the program.    "I travel around the country, and I speak on the topic of 'America Needs Wrestling,'" said Gable. "I don't mean that you need wrestling in order to survive. You have to have what wrestling represents - to be the best. Wrestling is the high-bar of sports. You don't do it recreationally. It is a sport that represents a high level of discipline and dedication."    "I think about America," said Gable. "It was build by a lot of people with a strong nature, who have created opportunities to make things better."    He asked those in the luncheon to think about wrestling and whether it represents something important.    "If you believe that it should be available, then you have to find some way to provide that opportunity," he said. "It represents the future. It's about dedication, working hard and setting high goals. You can't just walk off the street and do well in wrestling. It's an extraordinary sport. If you are not prepared, very soon everybody knows it. It is something that is needed, especially in an area that has thousands of kids who do it."    After Gable spoke, many members of the audience began giving their opinions about bringing back wrestling at USC. An open and lively dialogue followed, with some very constructive discussion between the university administration and the community leaders.    Colorado State Representative Lola Spradley gave a compelling testimony about how important bringing back wrestling is to her and to the community.    "It was a surprise to me, especially not knowing that it was going to be cut," said Spradley. "We need to do a better job of communication. If anybody would have known, we could have done something to save it. We have a good coach. Pueblo is a sports town. For us to cut a program is an embarrassment. We need to figure out how to save it. People will find the resources to do the right thing."    "This accommodation for the short term is a disappointment," she said. "We should have brought the team back. If we need to increase our support for women, we can do that. This town supports its sports and its kids. If there is something we need to take to the Legislature, our people will be behind it all the way. We have to figure out a way. The university has to tell us what we have got to do, and in what order we have to do it."    Glennen explained that the decision to cut the program was financial, but in order to reinstate the program that Title IX compliance would also be a major factor.    "Why was the decision made without the community involved?" asked Spradley. "It is now a tougher problem than if they had included us from the start. That's what sticks to me. Lord knows what we could have done if we had known. People were not told that there was a problem until it was already cut. That's what makes your blood race."    "It is unacceptable to lose this sport in this community," said community leader Buffy McFadden. She predicted that if this problem was not resolved, that the other colleges in the state that have wrestling would also be in danger.    Dan Carlson, who headed the Community in Support of USC Wrestling organization, was emotional when explaining how USC wrestling change the life of one of its athletes, national champion Chris Currier, who had a difficult childhood. "He now has an engineering degree and a job in Colorado Springs," said Carlson. "It is an example of opportunities, that provide for an education and a better life. When we take it away, kids that grow up in Pueblo and in Colorado then don't have those opportunities."    Glennen explained his proposal to create an endowment fund, which would raise $2.1 million over a five-year period. When the money is raised, then the wrestli