So much happens in the span of one year, and some years are more active than others. Two-thousand and one was definitely a very memorable year for our university. Many wonderful things happened over the course of this year, and the holiday season is the perfect time to give thanks. I know some of you are wondering what great things have happened. Well, there is that Mississippi State University cheese, the really creative Kwanza display in the window of the MSU Florist, our library is still nice and…well…OK…maybe 2001 has not been the best year in the history of our university. As we conclude another year, we do not have a president, we do not have a provost and several key administrative positions are still vacant (dean of Arts and Sciences and dean of Education).
Our football team failed to live up to expectations, and we are left wondering how our basketball team will fare this season. Budget cuts have not allowed for pay raises. But there is hope. With change comes possibility. Dr. Malcolm Portera is gone, and like most of the MSU community, I was concerned about the future of our university in the wake of his departure. I now realize his exit is not such a tragedy after all. There is a chance for student leaders to emerge and demand money for student activities and student affairs. There is a chance for under-funded colleges like the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education to get their fair share of university funding.
The holiday season is indeed a special time to reflect and give thanks for our blessings ,and at Mississippi State University, we really do have a number of things that deserve thanks.
Let us take another look at our football team. Our football team has not had the best record this year. Actually, we have had the worst season since I have been a student, but we should not dwell on the negative.
I know we lost to Florida, Alabama and Troy State, but we beat Ole Miss. We did not lose every game, and that is all that matters.
Our university is expanding. The Swalm Building is a beautiful point of pride for our university; Lee Hall was renovated (I know you cannot tell that it was; neither can I) and there is that really quaint fountain in front of the library that someone wasted money on which could have given the staff much needed pay raises.
We have Chik-fil-A. We can eat a good chicken sandwich, an order of waffle fries and a really chocolatey brownie whenever the urge strikes. For that, I am thankful, a little bit, I guess.
Two-thousand and one has been a difficult year for our university, but I have faith that things will get better.
On a serious note, we do have things to be thankful for and to celebrate this holiday season. We are still alive. We have been given one more day, one more chance to change a life, to make the world a better place. We have been given one more chance to serve God. We are in school, getting an education, making ends meet. We have lived to see another holiday season. The life we are living is the best life we will ever live. What more could we ask for?
Finally, on a personal note, I am thankful to the MSU community for the opportunity to serve as opinion editor of The Reflector. This being my last issue, I want to say that the last two years have been exciting, to say the least.
The position of opinion editor carries a number of responsibilities. My No. 1 goal was to stimulate thought and encourage intellectual conversation, and I believe I succeeded in achieving that goal. There have been good sections and not- so-good sections. There have been praises from politicians, administrators and community leaders. There have also been condemnation from politicians, administrators and community leaders. Criticism has ranged from a letter of thanks from G.V. Sonny Montgomery to one reader saying I deserved a bop on the bottom. My tenure as opinion editor has truly been exciting and I thank you, the MSU community, for the opportunity to serve.