This will be our last issue before Halloween on Thursday, even though it does still seem far away at the moment. Surely you have already had thoughts on what costume to wear and what parties to attend.

We, unfortunately, won’t be joining in the festivities until later. While you are all suiting up for a night of candy eating and cider drinking, we’ll be holed up in the Campus Center making sure the newspaper is ready for you to read on Friday morning.

Nonetheless, we want to make sure all of our readers have a fun, but safe Halloween. Not to be too much of a downer, but as one of the few holidays students are on campus for, Halloween does pose its fair                              share of risks.

Something about throwing on that Batman or cat costume seems to make people want to guzzle down any form of alcohol they come across. It’s likely a college student doesn’t need to be told why this type of consumption is dangerous, but we figured we should mention the potential dangers of binge drinking regardless. No one needs to see the inside of an ambulance on Halloween; that’ll be a damper on your weekend, your closest friends and your parents’ mental health.

Most students know their limits and know how to keep themselves under control, but things can happen. It can be easy to lose track of how much you have had and get yourself into trouble. In this situation, you put yourself in danger of running into trouble with law enforcement or of getting into a dangerous situation with strangers around you. This is the most important weekend to use the buddy system. Normally, keeping track of your friends isn’t that difficult, but when there are three playboy bunnies and four cowboys, it’s a little harder to keep track.

The fact that students will be flocking to the bars in numbers on Halloween is not going to take the city police by surprise, and students can bet that officers will be out in force. Don’t do something stupid like carry an open container or throw a loud enough party to attract the police.

Don’t be discouraged though. If you’re going to throw a party follow some simple etiquette rules. Tell your neighbors. The biggest reason the police come to parties is from complaining neighbors, so just let them know. Everyone knows that Halloween in its nature is supposed to be fun, so they’ll most likely understand. Second, clean up after yourself. Nothing impresses an adult more than a college student who shows                 some respect.

Be considerate of your neighbors trick-or-treating as well. This is not just a holiday for college kids to dress up and get drunk. It’s essential to remember that Oswego is a family-oriented community. Most likely if you’re going to a party, you’ll still see trick-or-treaters making their last rounds with their parents, so please keep that into consideration. It would be completely unfair of someone in their twenties to spoil Halloween for a young child who the holiday is really intended for.

Remember to have fun. If you’re a freshman, you’re in for a treat. There is nothing like a Halloween in Oswego and upper-classmen aim to beat last year’s festivities. In short, have a great holiday, make smart choices and, most of all, keep your name out of our police blotter.