The fact that today is the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy has been very prominent if you’ve paid attention to the news at all this week.  I don’t have a frame of reference for something that happened so long ago, but through my parents I feel like I get a little bit of a glimpse of what it must have been like in this country on November 22, 1963.

My dad was 20 that day, and mom was 19, both of them the perfect age to appreciate and be inspired by Kennedy’s message of pride and optimism.  When the assassination is brought up to them, they both just get kind of sad, even after all this time.

September 11, 2001 I feel gives me a reasonable idea of the confusion, anger, and fear that the events of that day 50 years ago brought on, but in looking at the ramifications of the assassination, what I feel makes people like my parents sad is that there was a palpable loss of trust, security, and most of all, optimism.

I’m not naïve enough to think that cynicism didn’t exist 50 years ago; I just have a hard time believing that there was cynicism on the level that we have today, and I can’t help thinking that our road to distrust, anger, and negativity got a big boost from the events in Dallas in 1963.

Folks, optimism is never, ever a bad thing, and anyone who tells you that looking at things in a positive manner is a bad idea is someone who you need to keep a very wary eye on.

Optimism is not hard to find when we have scholar athletes like the ones listed below: Lots of people give lip service to the idea that academics are the driving force behind an athletic program, but these kids live it; I’m very proud of all of our athlete’s efforts in the classroom!

To earn this award, athletes must have earned a 3.67 or higher GPA.

Congrats to all of our scholar-athletes; and thank you to all of you who have worked so hard with them in the classroom!