It happened on Aug. 17. Something proved to me and hundreds of others that Mississippi State University is for the students.
Yes, it finally happened. During a moment ordained by good luck, the president of MSU gave us a rugged rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps.”
As I stood on the beautiful grass and ate the free strawberry ice cream, I listened. I listened hard. While the lyrics and passion poured from our leader’s lips, I forgot that Ronnie Van Zant died in a plane crash decades ago. Ronnie’s spirit resided within MSU President Robert Foglesong on that Thursday afternoon.
The first word that came to mind was “cool.” Finally, Lynyrd Skynyrd was back in business. I became one of the privileged few who heard them reclaim their dead singer in the form of an education official. I can’t wait for the new CD.
Undoubtedly, this cements the idea that MSU will put its students above anything. In a way, MSU represents Jesus Christ, only without the miracles.
Another comforting fact is that the students who supposedly represent the student body don’t just roll over for the administration.
For example, Student Association Vice President Lee Weiskopf defended the new Union fee that students will pay next fall. If you’re a full-time student next year, you’ll have to pay at least an extra $30.
Many of you may scoff at this idea, but let’s read what Weiskopf had to say: “I think the students will benefit from this because the price isn’t high, and the benefits of using the union outweigh the cost.”
Damn skippy, vice president. The price isn’t high. Plus, we all know little fees here and there-such as the price of gas, parking decals, electricity bills and food-don’t add up.
You’ll learn this in accounting. Even though different things, like Union fees and gas, have their own “prices,” they don’t make the overall cost “higher.” What happens? When a new expense is created, the other expenses lose velocity. When something loses velocity, it can’t win the race. So we have nothing to worry about.
Plus, we know tuition doesn’t increase almost every year anyway. And if it does, the College Board will have a good reason. The board would only raise tuition if poor Mississippians became upper middle class citizens. I’m not gay, but I would kiss Commissioner Thomas Meredith.
As you can probably tell, I would follow these leaders into molten lava. And I encourage all of you to do the same. If you don’t, then you’re not a real college student. Sorry.