Forum Editorial: Time to wake up!

EDITORIAL MUG: Editorial art Vertical

The squeal of the bus brakes in the early morning and the buzz of college students — all is as it should be in Maryville.

Our annual clock is set by the school year here in northwest Missouri. Summer vacation sometimes feels like a dream when the dog days of August let out their final howl, and the hustle and bustle of returning students at Northwest Missouri State University and kids clattering onto and off of buses sends a jolt through our system.

The return of college students especially makes it feel like we’re finally running at full capacity once again.

As they begin another academic year at Northwest next week, we encourage those of us who live here year-round to go the extra mile whenever we can to help university students feel like the members of our community that they are for the time they’re here.

They are not just an eager workforce and an influx of customers for businesses in need of employees and patrons alike, but are ambitious, forward-thinking, socially responsible citizens who help to shape our own outlooks in ways noticeable and not-so-noticeable — but especially noticeable when they’re gone.

And at the start of a new K-12 school year, the engines of our rural Nodaway County communities throughout the county are humming back to life.

Our sympathies are with all the parents who are back to the routine of rousing their kids out of bed to make it to the bus stop, to early morning practice, or just to school on time and with all items of clothing accounted for. Although, we share just as much sympathy for the kids, who are back to the daily grind of combating the alarm and their parents’ accelerated internal clocks (no, there’s no way it’s already been five minutes!) and lack of a volume knob (do they have to yell louder than the alarm clock??).

Yes, it’s that time of year again, and we couldn’t be more excited for the school year to begin!