In this country, we’re more than familiar with the promise of change. In case you forgot, our last president reached office riding the platform of “change we can believe in.” This November, we will decide whether or not that change was worth believing in, but I think we can all agree there’s still work to be done.

As a university, we’re no different. This fall will bring a myriad of changes as the Tigers join a new, geographically inapplicable conference. New uniforms, new opponents, new rivalries. Right now, our “MIZ-SEC” chants are loud, but who knows what volume they’ll be at if (when?) we got rolled over by the Crimson Tide.

Even as a city, the concept of change is hard to ignore — especially when it comes in the form of a giant multi-purpose loft/retail/restaurant complex. Every walk down Ninth Street comes with a reminder of the change coming August 2013 and a hope that our generally beloved downtown will transform into an even more enjoyable place to live.

Yet, we don’t have to always have to look too far down the calendar for change. Coach Frank Haith brought the future of Missouri basketball a year early, and while I’m not up on my politics, Barack Obama _did_ kill Osama bin Laden with a paintball gun, a laser pointer and some retractable sporks. And as for good ol’ CoMo, change is happening as we speak (or read — whatever). Businesses like Bleu and Roxy’s are getting settled into their new pads and Hot Box is headed to new territory this summer.

The times are always a-changin’. We don’t always have to look for that change in our crystal balls. One hundred percent of changes start in the present.

There are your words of wisdom for the day. Now what are you waiting for? Go get some freaking Hot Box before it’s May already!