A wrap-up of the week’s ups and downs

Football ticket fiasco

There’s no greater feeling in the world than getting an e-mail saying you were awarded a Florida ticket. But when 900 students received a follow-up e-mail pretty much saying “Psych!”, people were upset. We sympathize with those students and hope they’ll still join us in Jacksonville to tailgate at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party anyway.

Dean of Students race

There’s a new competition on campus, and it has nothing to do with football. Surprisingly, that doesn’t make it boring. The position of dean of students is up for grabs, and University students are eager to participate. Rather than sending the issue to the beyond, students are asking questions and attending speeches. Props to everyone for stepping up and paying attention. This needs to happen more often.

Raccoon blackout in East Campus

On Aug. 29, we lost a dear friend and valued member of our University community when a rogue raccoon — known for his curiosity and never-ending love of tinkering with electrical devices — perished from this earth. And as his wonderful life was extinguished from his finely-groomed body, so, too, were lights extinguished all across campus. While the grieving process is bound to be difficult for many of his closest friends, we can’t help but feel a little happy. Sparky the Raccoon went out with a bang (just like he would have wanted) — and made for some great news along the way.

Labor Day weekend

At last! It’s only been a few weeks, but it feels like six semesters. We need a break, and so do you. Labor Day weekend is here at last, and we know you’ve been waiting with as much anticipation as we have. The editorial board advises you to enjoy the first football game of the season. And whatever happens, do absolutely no homework on Monday. We won’t.