It has been a busy few months at Jacksonville State University. Let’s look at some positives and one negative.• Thumbs up to Valdosta State University. Thanks for not taking our president away. That is selfish on our part, but we didn’t want to lose such a valuable resource.
Yes, Dr. William Meehan is a resource – not only to JSU, but to Calhoun County and the surrounding area. He works tirelessly for the university and for the community. He is involved in just about every civic project. And when he’s involved, good things happen.
Good things are also happening at our university and to keep Dr. Meehan at the throttle is a major plus.
Forgive us, Dr. Meehan for saying we’re glad you didn’t get the job. Thank you, Valdosta State for letting us keep our president. Our gain is your loss.
• Thumbs up to the JSU basketball search committee for giving this community a man like James Green.
As much as we hated to lose a good man as basketball coach, we gained another one in Coach Green. He has proven over and over that his formula produces not only winning players, but winning students and citizens.
He brings class, dignity, dedication and respect to a program that has fallen on hard times. Our support is with you, Coach Green. We are already looking forward to basketball season and we haven’t even kicked the football this year.
• Another thumbs up goes to Coach Jana McGinnis and her softball players and Coach Jim Case and his baseball players.
In a year where we were lackluster in football and basketball, we have blossomed in the spring.
The softball team rolled to the regular season OVC championship and then blasted their way to the tournament title and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Good luck as the Gamecocks travel to Tuscaloosa to meet Florida State.
Case and his baseballers appear headed for the OVC regular season championship.
• And then there’s a thumbs down. The seating capacity of Paul Snow Stadium is listed as 15,000. Now there is talk of adding 5,000 more seats and luxury boxes.
This approach of “If we build it, they will come,” may be a little far-fetched. There has never been a sellout at Paul Snow and unless a “big name” school plays here, there never will.
Should we improve our athletic facilities? Absolutely. But let’s start with the most needy. In our humble opinion, that’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.
– JA
