This semester, the editorial board has addressed the housing shortage for freshmen men, presented concerns about next year’s costly dining plan and pointed a finger at academic advising. However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, the editorial board would like to use this space – often used to criticize wrongs – to thank the university for its efforts.Thank you, TCU, for campus construction. Although the topic often warrants disgust at the shrill sound of drilling outside classrooms and the subsequent lack of parking space, the university’s efforts to rebuild the bookstore and provide more on-campus housing are applaudable. It is a relief to know students will soon escape TCU’s makeshift bookstore and purchase classroom materials from a Barnes & Noble with Starbucks coffee in their hands.

Thank you, TCU, for making life on campus environmentally friendly. The biodegradable Spudware in The Main, the Purple Bike Program and, most importantly, student activists who demand change and encourage students, faculty and staff to make a difference.

And, a thank you to those who work behind the scenes to make the university run.

Groundskeepers, we take you for granted. You plant our flowers, mow our grass and blow leaves, and you kindly pause as students walk by. Housekeepers, you clean our dorm halls, keep our classrooms tidy and take out the garbage in our newsroom. We appreciate it.

And lastly, thank you, Dining Services’ employees, for not only serving us grilled cheese sandwiches, but for taking the time to learn our names and favorite orders. You make us feel special.

So, during the holiday season, we hope you feel thankful as well in knowing that we appreciate each one of you.

News editor Lindsey Bever for the editorial board.