The year 2005 has come and gone, and we at the U are left to reflect upon the defining events that shaped the last 12 months.

On one hand, this was a banner year for the U. The success of our athletics programs was recognized nationally, culminating in a No. 1 draft pick for both the NFL and the NBA, as well as the ranking of the MUSS as one of the top student cheering sections in the country.

Yet on another hand, 2005 was plagued with controversy.

Our student body, while united behind the success of our athletes, remained divided on issues such as the Accommodations Policy and the health insurance investigation conducted by ASUU.

Our student body banded together to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, only to have some efforts crippled by university bureaucrats who refused to allow the U logo on T-shirts sold as a fund-raiser.

The Utah Legislature approved the renovation of the Marriott Library and several other important construction projects commenced; the subsequent loss of parking had students up in arms.

Our campus saw a rise in its crime rate, including several high profile crimes such as the theft of football coach Kyle Whittingham’s championship rings and valuable copies of the Book of Mormon from the LDS Institute.

Members of one fraternity stole copies of The Chronicle after a letter to the editor accused them of hazing.

Similar allegations of hazing were later leveled against another fraternity, resulting in its closure.

So what are we to say about 2005? Was it a bad year at the U or a good one?

Ultimately, we believe that we shouldn’t make such a cut-and-dry judgment call, but rather use 2005 as a baseline for the future.

We should endeavor to make 2006 a great year-not just in appearance, but in actuality as well.

While continuing to court various successes and recognition, we should try to build a stronger community here at the U, as well as strive to improve the moral character of our students.

Let us move past the controversies of 2005 while remembering the lessons we learned from them.

Hopefully we can apply that hard-won wisdom to problems we will face in the future. “Fast away the old year passes…hail the new, ye lads and lasses.”