Editorial: Be Smart and Safe for Spring Fling

It is that time of year again. Spring is in the air, the students are outside playing Frisbee and sun tanning, the end of the year is almost here – it is time for Spring Fling! The band, the fun, the activities, it all adds up to a great time for everyone involved. Hundreds of man hours put in by the Spring Fling Committee and many others will surely mean another great Fling. Let’s make sure that it is the best that Plymouth State has seen. To make this happen, much of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the students. Students must remember that it is crucial to the success of Spring Fling that one theme be followed – to think. Think before you have that next drink that you know will put you over the edge. Think before you agree to get in on a stunt that your friends want to do. Just think.Having fun is the theme of Spring Fling – a time to let loose and be wild right before the time to crack down and finish all those projects and begin studying for finals. Just be smart about how you decide to have your fun. Campus police, along with police from Plymouth, Holderness, Grafton County, and some state troopers will all be on hand for the weekend, as well as liquor commissioners to deal with the workings of the beer tent. While the security measures may seem a bit extreme at first, it is the same amount of security that they would staff for any major event. They also are not anticipating there to be a problem, but all will be ready to handle a situation should it arise. Chief of Campus Police, John Clark, stressed to the Plymouth State campus that students’ actions do not have an effect on the school alone. The impacts of decisions, both good and bad, are seen throughout the town, the state, and even New England. The town grants the university permission to hold such an event in hopes that the PSU students will not cause them to think they made a mistake. Let’s not place a fragile relationship in even further jeopardy. Around the state and New England, the reputation of Plymouth State University, and along with that the value of your diploma, are at stake. A tarnish or blemish on the reputation of our school will diminish the value of a degree from this institution, and no one wants to dedicate four years of their life to something that will not reap the benefits that are expected. Chief Clark continued asking for the student body’s help in keeping the peace over the Spring Fling weekend. If you see something suspicious, do not wait for the situation to get out of hand. Find assistance and get help before damage occurs. Remember, damage to the Plymouth State campus, if the perpetrators are not caught, will be paid for by a hike in your tuition. No one wants that; we all work too hard to waste money on a problem that could have been prevented. Represent Plymouth State University over Spring Fling weekend the right way. Go out, have a great time, bring attention to the amazing band that will be here and to all the wonderful events that have been put together. The weekend has been created with the hopes of providing students with an opportunity to have a lot of fun – let’s make sure all that hard work does not go to waste.