On Tuesday at 3 p.m., Father Wild delivered his annual State of the University Address. He kicked off the speech by giving himself and the university a pat on the back for its achievements over the past year; application numbers have climbed 14 percent over the past year and we have enjoyed a record breaking year for fundraising. We also attracted the second most students from Jesuit high schools, second only to Seattle University.

There are a number of good things going on that deserve celebration. However, there are areas where we are lacking and need improvement, which Father Wild also pointed out. He called for a continuous increase in academic standards, and not just in the areas of Law and Engineering which are both getting new buildings.

The parts of the address that we could best relate to, however, were Wild's statements about financial aid. Tuition costs keep increasing, and many students just can't foot the bill of this costly private school education. Wild was very realistic about how hard the financial strain is on some students, and said that we should do all we can to keep students from having to drop out because of financial reasons. This commitment to holding the Marquette community together is admirable. Students shouldn't find themselves out in the cold if they run into financial difficulties halfway through their college career.

Wild plans to keep students on board even if this means admitting fewer new students. He also spoke of the university's growing endowment, stressing that this money must be used for scholarships. However, our endowment is lagging behind other comparable schools.

Students should focus less on paying off their loans and more on getting a good education, Wild said. He wants to be able to give larger scholarships to students to ease this financial stress. It is good to hear Wild addressing this struggle. All in all, his words were strong and a realistic evaluation of the state of Marquette.

Wild voiced a lot of things that people wanted to hear. We hope that these words will be translated into action and that the necessary changes will be made at the university. We understand it will take a lot; fundraising will have to be stepped up and a great deal of effort will be required on a large scale. But increasing financial aid for students is something that needs to be done. Please keep your promise, Wild.