On Thursday and Friday, we will all enjoy the two-day respite from school known as fall break. Some of us will travel to places like Gainesville, Fla., for the LSU football game against the University of Florida. Others will go to different locations or just stay in Baton Rouge. Regardless of what you choose to do during your time off, we ask that you remain safe and refrain from actions that could be harmful to yourself or others. We on this board feel that this newspaper has had to cover too many tragic events in recent weeks, including our report in Tuesday’s paper about a severe car accident involving Clyde Hargrove, Brandon Young and Blake Oliver, members of the local rock band The Terms. Oliver broke a bone in his vertebrae but was released from the hospital. Hargrove broke his pelvis and likely will not be released until next week. Young is in intensive care. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the injured and their families, and we hope this incident serves as a stark reminder of our own mortality. We’re not invincible, and you should remember that one day you too will die. But we hope that day comes later rather than sooner. Because of the break, many of you will also take the opportunity to travel to Gainesville and participate in game day festivities. We hope there is enough of an LSU presence to make an impact on Florida’s homecoming game. That said, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of you traveling to Florida that you do so as representatives of LSU. Despite all the University’s attempts to market itself, such as the “Welcome to the NOW” campaign, we, the students, are the most persuasive advertising tool LSU can offer. This University and its students will be perceived based upon how we act, especially when we travel to away-game events. Jon Stewart, host of the popular television program “The Daily Show,” once joked that www.drinkordie.edu could serve as this University’s Web site. Keep in mind that this is how much of the nation views this University and its students. That perception will only change if we represent our University with class and dignity.
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