As the university lets out for its week-long break to celebrate Thanksgiving, we urge those traveling home to exercise the upmost caution when traveling.

With weather predicted to be sleeting rain Friday and Saturday, roads will be a bit hazardous and can be tricky.

Given recent events, we hope students will be smart about the choices they make as they make their way home this weekend.

When it comes to being safe, nothing should be taken for granted. Just because you have driven the same road 100 times does not mean you can do it the 101st time.

Going slow on the roads and making sure you are safe is better than ignoring the rules of the road in order to make it home 20 minutes sooner.

We have been given a great gift of time off, and we understand that students are excited and eager to make their way home. If you are driving, make sure your car is top condition. That means checking the oil levels and air levels in your tires.

The few extra minutes it takes to look over your vehicle could mean the difference between life and death.

And during Thanksgiving break, please also exercise that same caution. We still have two weeks left of the semester before finals when we return.

Doing something less than safe just for one night is not worth whatever trouble may lie ahead.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for everything going well in your life. If the whole break winds up with you in danger or hurt, it will not be much of a break.

When we think about Thanksgiving, we should be thankful for the people in our lives, and we are sure others are thankful for you as well.

Don’t waste an opportunity to see loved ones by hurting yourself simply because you weren’t paying attention.

With two weeks left before finals, that means we are at the last leg of the race, the home stretch. Instead of wasting the opportunity to continue your education, if you’re not thinking ahead about safety, you will be hurting not only yourself, but the ones you love.

We have recently lost one of our own, Samantha Middendorf in a car accident on Saturday. She died after receiving injuries from the accident.

Knowing there is nothing in this world worse than having someone you loved ripped from your world suddenly, we want everyone on this campus to be safe.

Again and again professors, administrators, resident assistants and others tell us we at Eastern are a family. We are united.

And that means we are united, no matter what. Even in the darkest of times we can still hold onto the glimmer of light that we are surrounded by those who love us.

With that in mind, remember to take a few moments before you travel home this weekend to make sure you are completely safe in driving home. It will help you out in the long run, if not right now.

Midwest winters can be brutal, and given what has happened last year, this year does not look too much better. With that in mind, now is the time to start preparing for the treacherous weather.

Safety is never something to take lightly. We know now more than ever the sanctity of life and how precious and fleeting it can be. It is not something to take lightly.

While zooming off to get home as quick as possible may seem like the best idea, remember, in the scheme of things, shaving a few extra minutes off your arrival time isn’t always the best option.

We are a family here at Eastern. Each one of us the other’s brother or sister. And with it comes the responsibility to keep yourself safe.

As we keep you in our hearts this Thanksgiving break, remember, some are not so lucky to get to go home and see loved ones.

Some do not have the chance to see their family or friends.

Some of us lost those important to us.

Let’s not lose anymore.

Be safe this Thanksgiving, on the way home, during , and on the way back.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, Eastern.