A rose to the newest group of college graduates. Both Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State University held fall commencement ceremonies this weekend. We commend the students for whom this weekend’s ceremonies are an affirmation of years of hard work, commitment and sacrifices. We believe a good education is the foundation for a good life, not only in the work world but in all other aspects of life. We wish all of our graduates success as they move forward and remind them they do not make the journey alone. So we also commend the parents and families of these graduates, along with the teachers and professors who have devoted their lives to the success of these students.
A rose to everyone who participated in making Saturday’s Columbus Christmas Parade a rousing success, especially Columbus Main Street and its director, Barbara Bigelow, who each year pull out all the stops in making sure that every parade has something new to offer. Roses to all of the volunteers, parade entrants, support personnel such as the Columbus Police Department and Columbus Fire & Rescue and, of course, the citizens who turned out in large numbers to make the parade a success.
A thorn to those responsible for some ugly incidents this week during high school basketball games in Amory and Columbus. In Amory, a parent of a girls’ basketball player was arrested after allegedly punching the Hamilton girls basketball coach after a Hamilton game in Amory. Apparently, the incident came in a dispute over whether the daughter of the alleged assailant should ride home on the team bus or with the parent. That a dispute over such a minor disagreement could deteriorate into an assault is not only unfortunate, it is a criminal act. Then, on Friday, the boys basketball game between Aberdeen and Columbus was called off at halftime by game officials. The reasons for the officials’ decision to end the game prematurely are not clear at this point. What is clear is that some serious breach of conduct led to the decision. Incidents such as these are rare, we acknowledge, but they should be non-existent. Parents, coaches, fans and players should take note. There is no place for this sort of behavior.
A rose to Mississippi State University, which again was listed among the Military Times Best for Vets college rankings. MSU was ranked No. 44 in the listings for its commitment to educating and providing opportunities for our military veterans. More than 600 colleges participated in the survey that the rankings were based on, which means MSU ranks in the top 7 percent for its assistance to vets. Currently, there are about 450 veterans and service members who are students at State and the veteran community, which includes dependents of veterans, comprises more than 21,000 students on campus. Taking care of our veterans is a core value for our country. We are most pleased that MSU continues to do an outstanding job in that effort.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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