The hearts of students like myself sunk Sunday as the line of cars started pilling off Interstate 57 and headed back toward Eastern’s campus.

The return of students to campus marked the end of a much-needed break from the daily grind of classes and work. The observance of Lincoln’s Birthday was what I needed. Just five weeks into the semester, I find myself behind in most of my work for class and no relief in the near future.

There was another reason to mourn the return of students to Eastern’s campus: their return signaled the end of an extremely peaceful weekend.

Campus is a different place during a three-day weekend. Many students try to get Charleston in their rearview mirrors as fast as possible on three-day weekend. Their departure leaves only the brave souls who choose to stay on campus during the extended weekend.

There are certain inconveniences those staying around the area have to put up with. The dining halls were closed on Friday, so the only place to eat on campus was the food court. Many of the buildings on campus were open for shorter hours. Even some local businesses shortened their hours with the knowledge less students would be in town to spend their money.

There also were plenty of benefits to staying on campus. The Student Recreation Center isn’t as crowded. When the dining halls reopened on Saturday, the lines were shorter. For me, the biggest advantage is campus was a lot quieter with over half the students gone.

There was ample parking day or night, and humble folk without temptation this weekend. And a dork like myself was free to spend a quiet evening at home with an episode of “South Park” and a couple of friends.

A three-day weekend makes campus feel a lot like home for someone like myself who grew up in a small town. It was easy to find privacy anywhere, and I was left alone to catch up on most of the homework on which I had fallen behind.

The vastly diminished population of campus was also enjoyed by some of my friends from much larger communities than my hometown. They’re used to being in more crowded areas, and a three-day weekend is a break from the crowded sidewalks, dinning halls, stores and restaurants.

I can understand why people want to go home every chance they get. The social life in Charleston isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, or even Illinois, for that matter. Eastern students want to go home and see their friends, or maybe just go on a road trip looking for some fun on their own.

I encourage everyone to find his or her own fun as long as it doesn’t interfere with the fun of others. For some, fun is going out to the bars every night. For others, it’s going home to see their friends. For people like me, it’s staying in a ghost town with a small group of friends enjoying the peacefulness of campus.

Today brings the drastic change.

Not only do all the students return, but the campus will be full with high school students visiting Eastern. Instead of the normal crowds on campus, students also will have to walk around the tour groups, which is enough for me to crave another three-day weekend.