Now that the semester is winding down, it’s an appropriate time to recognize those who have elevated, lowered or altered the quality of life here at the University.
To those stalwart souls at Hayes Hall who scan bubble sheets for tests and managed this process for us hapless instructors: a hearty well-done. You’ve made our lives and those of our students easier with your promptness and efficient use of technology.
To the students who authored the racist tweets at a nearby bar: Thanks for nothing. You’ve besmirched the University’s reputation and caused the administration to spend time and resources that could have been put to better use.
To the people at Disability Services: Many thanks for your smooth and professional operation. Whenever I hand-carry my exams to your office for my students, I’ve always encountered cheerfulness and expertise. Good job.
To the owner or owners of the bar who apologized for the aforementioned racist messages on social media: You have no need to apologize. You have no way of knowing which of your customers should have been properly educated by their parents years ago.
To those squads of people seen around campus picking up litter and trash: Thanks for helping to keep the place looking great. Memo to passersby: a friendly wave or a cheerful greeting works wonders. We all need support and affirmation.
To the University administration and its attempt to discipline the racist tweeters: lots of luck. These students were off campus and not involved with a University-sponsored activity.
Your position is understandable from a legal and public relations standpoint but remember that in loco parentis has gone the way of sock hops and panty raids. And speech codes don’t fare very well these days in courts of law. Welcome to the brave, new— but not much improved — world.
To all those who were involved in any way with Dance Marathon: Wow. Nearly a third of a million dollars were raised. That’s not small change. And the benefits provided by these funds will continue long after you’ve left the University. Your legacy will live on.
To those hyperventilating over my recent BG News op-ed article on marriage: Step back and take a deep, deep breath. The article’s dual purpose was to uphold traditional marriage and expose the dangers inherent in redefining words.
The faculty message board was aquiver with comments, proposals for a response, discussion over the wording’s response, solicitation of funds for the response, etc. As for the full-page response in The BG News: if you would have changed some of the wording, I, myself, would have supported it.
To those who respond to maintenance requests and repair stairways, unplug toilets and sinks and keep the buildings heated and cooled, among many other vital but unacknowledged tasks: A great big “thank you.” You’re the unsung heroes of this place, the ones who keep the physical plant running.
To my editor who has the courage to publish an accounting instructor’s scribbling: a big thank you. (By the way, we should have lunch and discuss my share of the revenue The BG News collected from the full-page ad placed in response to my article. Call it a “sales commission.” Just kidding).
To those who contribute to the Falcon Screech: If these complaints are indicative of your tolerance for the ups and downs of life, wait until you leave the halls of academia and live in the “real” world.
Finally, to all my students: Thanks for enrolling, for laughing at my bad jokes and for trying to understand depreciation, balance sheets, deferred taxes and taxation in general. You’ve been a source of education, inspiration and enlightenment for me. You’ve once again proven the old Roman adage: Qui docet, discit: “Whoever teaches, learns.”
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