A rose to all the dads out there on Dad’s Day. Although it is officially known as Father’s Day, you will pardon us if we use the more personal term. Who wants to have or be a father, which seems to us to be a description of a cold and distant authority figure? Dads, on the other hand, are relatable, warm, fun, supportive, understanding. There are some poor unfortunate souls who have a father, but many, many more who have a good ol’ dad. We salute all you dads out there on your special day.
A rose to Columbus mom Margaret Rollins for her efforts to promote organ donor-ship. Thursday, Rollins made her case at the weekly luncheon of the Columbus Exchange Club. It’s a deeply personal plea from Rollins, whose daughter Adeline, now 2 ½, would have likely died were it not for a liver transplant. A doctor informed Margaret that one-third of children with her daughter’s form of liver disease die for lack of a donor. Fortunately, Adeline had a donor in her own home. Margaret’s liver was a match and she was able to provide a portion of her healthy liver for her daughter, who is now thriving. Not every patient is so fortunate. There are currently 113,234 people in the country on the waiting list for an organ, nearly 2,000 of whom are children. We applaud Rollins for bringing this need to our attention. Now, it’s up to us to respond.
A rose to Mississippi State’s athletics program. Tonight, the MSU baseball team takes on Auburn in its opening game of the College World Series. As the last of the MSU teams to finish its 2018-2019 season, MSU has reached the CWS for the 11th time in its history and second year in a row. But success has been the rule rather than the exception for MSU in this remarkable year. The Bulldogs’ football team went to its ninth consecutive bowl game, the MSU men’s basketball team made it into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, and the MSU women reached the NCAA’s Elite Eight for the third consecutive year. MSU softball, track and field, men’s tennis and women’s golf also made it to the postseason. It’s truly been a special year. And, of course, it’s not over yet. Hail State!
A rose to Lee Brown, who has resigned from his position on the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees after almost 10 years of service. Brown announced his decision to resign, effective in July, after accepting a job offer in Tennessee. His long tenure on the board came when the school district was going through some big changes – not the least of which was the consolidation of the city and county schools. His was a trusted voice on the board, someone who helped smooth the consolidation process, which is always difficult. We thank Brown for his service, recognizing that serving on the school board is far from glamorous. School board members are quickly criticized, frequently second-guessed and sometimes viewed with suspicion. It’s a tough but important job. Brown performed his duties admirably. We thank him for his service to the community and wish him well.
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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