Making a list and checking it twice
Ever since we were little, the question we were asked around Christmas was “Were you naughty or nice this year?”
We believed we had to be good the entire year because Santa was always watching and he would be checking his list twice. Nobody wanted to be the kid that ended up with a big pile of coal on Christmas day. There was a nice list and a naughty list, no in-between.
Then there was the annual trip to the mall so you could have a chat with good ol’ Saint Nick and figure out where you really stood on the list. You hoped he would tell you that you had been a very good little girl or boy that year. If he did, you knew you were in the clear and some awesome Christmas presents were on their way.
SANTA CLAUS COMES to Cache Valley as Kyle Saxton suits up daily for the role while working at the Cache Valley Mall. SAMANTHA BEHL photo
Now that we are a little older, we know we can be as nice or as naughty as we want all year long and there won’t be a pile of coal waiting under the Christmas tree. Most of us still strive to be nice, but some end up of the naughty side of things.
One of these people is Jakob Ambuehl, the athletics vice president at Utah State University. Ambuehl is the leader of the USU Hurd, and anyone who has attended a USU athletic event knows he likes to get a little rowdy.
“I am 100 percent on the naughty list,” Ambuehl said. “I wear a short skirt to games and verbally abuse the opposing team. I’m what you would call a bad boy.”
According to Student Body President Michael Scott Peters, another Aggie who has ended up on the naughty list this year is his twin Michael Evil Peters. Evil Peters has been quite busy this year promoting his motto of “#noonebelongs” on Twitter and trying to one-up his twin Michael, earning him a spot on the naughty list this year. To see just how naughty Michael Evil Peters can be, check out his Twitter profile (@MSPEvilTwin).
Unlike his evil twin, President Michael Scott Peters has earned himself a spot on the nice list this year. Peters has been working hard to make students feel included and create a positive impact on campus.
“I would hope to be considered for the nice list because of the hard work and service I have given to our student body this year,” he said. “I have placed a specific emphasis on inclusion through campus events and speaking opportunities by emphasizing the theme ‘Everyone Belongs,’” Peters said.
One Aggie who believes she can be both naughty and nice is USU President Noelle Cockett.
“I certainly hope I’ll be on the nice list,” she wrote in an email to the Statesman. “I’ve been working hard to help students, staff and faculty have a great experience at USU. The only thing that might put me on the naughty list is that I tend to be (some people would say always) a little late for meetings!”
Utah State University president Noelle Cockett speaks at a recent Religion in Life devotional at the Logan LDS Institute. On Tuesday, Cockett joined other Utah university presidents in a letter to the state leadership urging for legislation to protect students who qualified for DACA.
Regardless of what list you end up on this year, have a very merry Christmas and an Aggie New Year.
— shelby.black@aggiemail.usu.edu
@shelbsterblack