CITY LOSES SOME SPIRIT WITH THE STUDENTS GONE

Cape Girardeau, at least for a time, loses a bit of its soul after today. Southeast Missouri State University students complete their finals today and most head for the city boundaries, summer for many collegians being a time to set aside the books, replenish the finances or just take it easy. A summer session commences at the school, but the enrollment is lower and the tempo is slower. We will miss the vitality of another academic year gone by.

There are always those uneasy souls who feel the university and its students burden this community, draw mightily on its resources, necessitate psychic and physical maintenance and give little back. We disagree. We believe the influx of thousands of young people each fall gives Cape Girardeau some of its character. This is a university town, and we remain proud of that fact.

Commencement was held last Saturday and Southeast conferred 705 undergraduate degrees, turning loose another class for hopefully useful pursuits. Most invested at least four years in their educational endeavor ... and most were rewarded in ways that go beyond career enhancement. Southeast remains an outstanding university, one of high standards and a focused mission. Beyond that, students will surely take from their time here lessons of life and comradeship, of service and community. For those who came here from distant points, and those graduates who will leave today, you know this: Cape Girardeau is not a bad place to spend a lifetime, so it certainly isn't a bad place to spend four years.

In paternal and astute fashion, U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Sr. used the occasion of the graduates' departure from university life to turn back the clock for some kindergarten-like advice. Don't cheat, the judge told those at commencement. And for all the learning these students did during their time at Southeast, that might be as wise a homily as they can carry through their lives. We wish the graduates God speed in the next portion of their life's journey.

With the academic year in full swing, the city buzzes with the energy of the young. True, it is a bit noisier. True, the streets are more crowded. But the university and its students help define Cape Girardeau, provide it with a vibrancy, suffuse it with spirit. We are never sad to see summer's arrival, but we will welcome the student body's return in August.