As the year winds down, it’s easy to forget the things that once drove much of your discussions just months ago. It’s just something in the constraints of our academic year and the idle months of summer that makes many students reinforce some of this. It’s also times like these that give us a chance to look back and remember those things that made us angry, or happy, or indifferent through the year.
 
Thumbs up
Football is awesome
Outside of a mistake-filled opener against LSU in Dallas and the tough home loss to USC, the Oregon football team gave us a pretty awesome fall. Saturday in and Saturday out, offensive standouts excited the Autzen faithful, while new faces on defense learned quickly — adding De’Anthony Thomas and Dion Jordan quickly to the names to know. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3378&SPID=233&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1550429&Q_SEASON=2012@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3378&SPID=233&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205238473&Q_SEASON=2012@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=3377&SPID=233&DB_OEM_ID=500&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Chip Kelly is staying
When the first notice of Chip Kelly’s potential hop to the NFL strolled onto Twitter, the newsroom (as we’re sure most of you did) took a deep breath before thinking of every possible option for the future. It was one of those hypothetical scenarios everyone thinks about, but never thinks will happen. For an evening, it almost did. Then, a little after midnight, we heard officially that he would be staying. Here’s to another year of probable success — fast, hard, finish.
Obama endorsing gay marriage
It was largely prompted by Joe Biden’s big mouth, but we don’t care. What we do know is that the last nine months have been filled with a lot of support swinging toward same-sex marriage legalization, with plenty of battles along the way. Obama stating support for gay marriage put a capstone on the year’s debate over it and should prove a watershed moment for the debate’s future.
$500 fine doesn’t succeed
There should be a way for West University student residents to live (and throw the occasional party) near the neighborhood’s more permanent residents. But a $500 fine isn’t it. So, thanks to the city council, Mayor Piercy and student advocates for getting rid of what would have been an exorbitant charge. @@http://kittypiercy.com/@@
 
Side thumbs
ASUO drama
From phishing sites to marriage certificates, it’s been one topsy-turvy and odd year for our student association. And with all the We Are Oregon shirts handed out, that eye-burning neon is going to continue to follow us for the rest of the year.
Football players smoke pot?
ESPN the Magazine gave us a story this year that said 40 to 60 percent of our football team smoked marijuana on the reg. After the first couple days of the story being in the ether, it mostly just sat there and so we turn our thumbs sideways and subsequently shrug.
 
Thumbs down
Lariviere getting the axe

All of our grievances with University President Richard Lariviere’s firing are mostly out there — students and faculty weren’t brought to the table until it was too late, it limits the potential innovation of presidents to come … the usual. So let’s put two final thumbs down for the State Board’s mismanagement in firing our former leader.
Controversies with the EMU
Roughly 12 months ago, University Vice President Robin Holmes and members of the administration brought forward a proposal to the State Board to renovate the Erb Memorial Union and students succeeded in garnering a referendum about it. Twelve months later, it really seems like we’re nowhere closer to renovating the EMU and students have voted against a proposed fee increase twice. So what’s happening with that? @@http://uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Robin*Holmes@@
OMAS miscommunications
Many students criticized the University’s transition from the Office of Multicultural Academic Success to the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence, saying it would take away some time with advisers and whitewash the University’s actions. Underlying all that, students didn’t like that they weren’t consulted on this important change. But it remained an impassioned issue for students for most of fall term. @@http://cmae.uoregon.edu/Home/tabid/55/EntryId/4/Center-for-Multicultural-Academic-Excellence.aspx@@
Mandatory reporting forms
Students voted overwhelmingly in the spring elections against keeping non-anonymous reporting forms for mandatory reporters in the case of sexual assault incidents. Given that mandatory reporters can fulfill their duties while protecting the choice of survivors to tell their own stories, and students (in large numbers) support this, why not anonymous forms?