Editorial: The year that was at UNH

 

Another year is in the books at UNH and, once again, it seems like it went by way too fast. Maybe that’s just the way it works when you’re trying to keep up with the news; by the time you catch up to one story, the next one blind sides you and you’re off chasing it.

As students prepare for finals, seniors gear up for graduation and freshmen prepare to go home and brag about their college exploits, I’d like to take some time to take a look back at the year that was here in Durham.

It was as eventful as ever at New Hampshire’s largest university. We started the year by remembering the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. We had to get to used to a new email system. And dining put an interesting, if not irrational, ban on energy drinks, before the administration swooped in and quickly lifted it. Imagine if the ban was still on as you pull an all-nighter scrapping together that final presentation?

In October, both TKE and ATO lost recognition for various violations. TKE has since regrouped and recently earned its recognition with the university and its national chapter back (see the front page). Things have only gotten worse for ATO, which had its house raided in a drug bust in November.

And who could forget Hallowcoming? Actually, who can remember it? Between Halloween, Homecoming and a snowstorm, it was a great weekend to say the least.

In November, the Republican presidential primary began to heat up, as Jon Huntsman visited UNH to make his case to run for the Oval Office. This paper later endorsed him in a January editorial. A lot of good that did, as Huntsman has since dropped from the race and Mitt Romney is well on his way to being the Republican presidential candidate.

Avicii brought his popular brand of electronic dance music to the Whitt later in November, and David Guetta followed suit with a concert in February. With the rising popularity of the music, it’s safe to say that EDM will be back on campus next year.

The UNH football team lost a heartbreaker in early December when a last-second extra point attempt went awry. Montana St. defeated UNH 26-25 in the FCS playoffs.

The spring semester started off on the wrong foot with a stabbing outside of Adams Tower. But then the countless students who knew slain UNH football player Todd Walker were given some amount of closure when his killer, Kevin McGregor, was found guilty and given life without parole.

In late February, beloved Ballards Restaurant closed, cutting down on Durham’s already sparse selection of drinking establishments. In its place will be Aroma Joe’s. Because all Durham needs is another coffee shop.

As winter gave way to spring, the UNH community was hit with some sad news when longtime MUB employee Bob Pettigrew passed away. If you worked in the MUB at all in the past two decades, you probably knew Bob in some way. He was remembered for his dedication to student involvement and genuine care for the students with whom he worked.

The UNH Campus Master Plan was met with much opposition in late April by those who didn’t want to see the land to the north of Route 4 developed. The plan has been partially revised to limit potential development on UNH’s agricultural lands and will be presented to President Mark Huddleston in the fall.

In the waning weeks of the spring semester, a new student body president was elected and two more concerts rocked the Whitt.

We’ve been there to cover it all. But it would all be pointless without you, the reader. We thank you for your continued support, thoughts and criticism. Some criticism has been fair; some hasn’t. We listen to it all.

After all, we are here to inform and serve the UNH community. We’ve worked hard to produce one of the best student newspapers in the country. That hard work is what won us an Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award in 2011. We hope to take home another this fall.

But we are not perfect. Keep telling us what you think. Nowadays, the relationship between a newspaper and its readers is more reciprocal than ever. In many ways, readers inform us just as much as we inform them.

So whether you’re tweeting at @thenewhampshire, posting on our Facebook wall or emailing me at tnh.editor@unh.edu, know that we appreciate your feedback and tips. I hope that everyone has an excellent summer. See you in the fall.

 

Justin Doubleday

Executive Editor

The New Hampshire