Thumbs down to the Department of IT and Mizzou Wireless, which left most students, faculty and staff with little to no wireless Internet access on campus Wednesday and Thursday. While we appreciate DoIT’s continuous updates on the situation and efforts to reach out to frustrated Tigers on Twitter, that is not enough. Students pay more than $160 in IT fees each year and deserve a functioning Internet system. It’s no longer optional — much of MU coursework relies on Internet access to turn in papers, watch lectures, read materials and so on. Mizzou Wireless is a constant thorn in the side of its users and needs to be revamped to ensure this never happens again.
Thumbs up to Delta Delta Delta for deciding to tear down its annex, which does not meet fire codes. In 2007, the Columbia City Council passed an ordinance requiring all MU Greek Life houses with fire code violations to fix them — either through renovation or through demolition — by 2012. The deadline was soon extended to Dec. 31, 2016, but every day that Greek houses with code violations postpone action, they continue to endanger their residents. We know that such fixes are often cost-prohibitive, but we hope Delta Delta Delta’s decision will inspire other fraternities and sororities to act sooner rather than later for the safety of their residents.
Thumbs down to the University Registrar for moving this year’s honors graduation indoors from its traditional location, the Francis Quadrangle. Even if there has been a pattern of rain during the last several graduations, the students petitioning administrators to move the ceremony back are right — the Quad is the historical heart of campus, a meaningful place to complete your degree, and MU’s top students deserve to graduate there.
Thumbs up to the MU Women’s Center for its hard work planning this year’s Women’s History Month with an unprecedented number of activities. The center has ensured there will be an event for everyone and the month will empower women to better themselves and accomplish great things. We encourage you, regardless of gender, to attend at least one event, particularly tomorrow’s Women’s Leadership Conference. Feminist Student Union member Kaitlyn Ingersoll put it better than we could: “Everyone’s history is your own history. To better understand yourself, you have to understand others. You don’t have any idea how women have contributed to the world until you’ve learned about it.”
Thumbs down to the Residence Halls Association for its dismal website. In sharp contrast to his predecessor Chris Rucker, current RHA president Zack Folk’s administration has not kept constituents apprised of the group’s legislation at all, which creates a disconnect between RHA and the students it serves. The recently elected 2013-14 president and vice president Jackson Farley and Shannon Dawson made visibility and accessibility a main part of their platform. We hope they will revamp RHA’s website and ensure that all legislation RHA passes next year is posted for students to access.
Thumbs down to MU students and fans for booing Arkansas men’s basketball coach Mike Anderson on Tuesday on his first return to Mizzou Arena since he left MU in 2011. Yes, there are still plenty of hurt feelings from Anderson’s sudden departure (some may say “betrayal”), but it’s incredibly clear we’re fine without him. Reigning AP Coach of the Year Frank Haith has done MU proud, in large part due to his high level of class and sportsmanship. It’s disrespectful to Haith not to follow his lead, and Tuesday’s show of vocal disdain for Anderson failed in this most basic level of respect. After all, with a crushing 93-63 victory over the Razorbacks, it’s not as if we really needed to heckle Anderson to demonstrate our dominance.
Finally, thumbs up to MU Dance Marathon for ensuring they will have another successful year, meeting and surpassing their goal of $75,000 raised. Throughout the year, Dance Marathon participants have motivated and inspired students with their passion and enthusiasm for their Miracle Kids. We hope Saturday’s main event continues to inspire everyone and celebrates the joy of life. Don’t stop dancing!
