With the end of the semester staring us in the face, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the past few months. A lot has happened, and it seems like a good time to put things into perspective.
Groucho Marx once said "Time wounds all heels," and after this semester, we are inclined to agree.
After three long years, Harvey Updyke is finally paying for his 2010 poisoning of the Toomer's oaks. We promised not to write editorials about Updyke - so we won't - but we do need to say it feels good to see him behind bars. Updyke has been a thorn in our collective side for too long.
Unfortunately, we have a new thorn, and this one seems to be digging in for the long haul.
Selena Roberts, Roopstigo founder and a former Plainsman reporter, seems to have her heart set on proving the Auburn football program is corrupt. Her claim is the Athletic Department is responsible for academic fraud and shady recruiting practices, a claim which mostly rests on the shoulders of Mike McNeil, a now convicted felon.
The slipshod manner in which Roberts defended her article is enough to raise some serious questions about the validity of what she reported. But the fact the NCAA has said Auburn is not guilty just pushes our B.S. meters to the limit.
Hopefully time will again work its magic and prove what already looks to be a heap of conjecture and hearsay to be just that.
On the positive side of what has happened this semester, there's one guy that's given us some hope for the future. By the way, we've also said this guy should be fired.
Athletic Director Jay Jacobs has made us proud, and that's something we never thought we would say. The way he's responded to the allegations presented in Roberts' article has shown the professionalism and leadership we so desperately need in the Athletic Department.
Of course, anytime we hear the words internal investigation we roll our eyes, but we still need to give Jacobs some credit. It's not easy being so unpopular and still having the desire to defend the people who don't like you. His massive paycheck probably helps, but that's not the point this time.
He stepped up to the challenge, and though it may be too little too late, we're happy he can still fight for the Tigers.
We're also hopeful coach Gus Malzahn will return us to our former football glory. It's still too early to tell, but we have confidence in him.
Of course, there will also be painful after effects in the coming semesters. The recent tuition increase is just adding on to the pressure building up among the student body.We have to pay too much to eat and park our cars, and it seems we are going to continue paying too much to go to school.
So, at the end of the Spring 2013 semester, we are left with a bittersweet optimism. We have a new football team to rally around, a new scandal to fight off and an athletic director finally coming out of his shell. We'll try not to let the cost of being a part of the Auburn Family get us down, but it will definitely be in the back of our minds.
We want to encourage our readers to take this time of transition to think about what it means to be an Auburn Tiger - to think about what it means to be more than a football team. Let's start a new chapter in the history of Auburn, a chapter centered on integrity, kinship and a desire to make our future better than anything we've achieved in the past.
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