We are the lifeblood of this University, and we need to remember that fact when our University responds to challenges.

Dear Chancellor Wrighton (and the board of trustees): Have you been inside the new Bauer Hall? It’s pretty impressive—six stories of soaring glass-and-steel atrium, state-of-the-art classrooms and impeccable modern decor. But what am I talking about—of course you’ve been inside; you’re the ones who run this school.

This past Sunday night, Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia came alive one last time for an inspiring display of acrobatics, stunts and dances. Fans from around the world packed the stadium for support as their nations’ athletes took one last lap around the stadium to officially close out the Winter Olympic season.

Missouri’s own Michael Sam is a 6-foot-2, 255 pound lineman with a fierce first step off the line and brutal closing speed as he chases down quarterbacks. His conference-leading 11.

OK, OK. Go ahead and make your jokes now. Make fun of the South all you want for completely shutting down because of 2 inches of snow last week. Call us backwards hillbillies who don’t know how to drive in the snow. Tell us that our city officials are all paranoid rednecks who freak out over a tiny, insignificant cold spell.

I probably deserve to be in jail right now. This past weekend, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was stopped and questioned by a police officer for trespassing in an abandoned building because I wanted to take some photographs. Was I in the wrong? Absolutely.

Eight days ago, on Nov. 13, the always controversial website WikiLeaks leaked government documents concerning the Intellectual Property Rights Chapter of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

“Washington University in St. Louis is a national leader in sustainability, a core priority that runs through all aspects of our campus community, our operations and our work as a leading research and teaching institution.” These are the words that greet me when I click on “Energy, Environment & Sustainability,” one of the most prominent tabs on the wustl.

On Saturday, Aug. 31, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel ran through the tunnel onto Kyle Field for Texas A&M University’s season opener against Rice University. But Manziel, arguably the nation’s best player, was forced to sit on the bench until halftime due to a suspension agreed upon by both the NCAA and his university.

On August 17, the 17 sororities of the University of Alabama Panhellenic Association distributed bids to hundreds of incoming freshmen women. And this year, just like every other year for the past five decades, not a single one of those women was black. The University of Alabama was famously integrated under an order from President John F. Kennedy in 1963.