I walked into my house Friday afternoon to find four of my six roommates had gone home for the weekend. On the nicest weekend since November, my roommates along with several others, left Charleston with only two weeks remaining until Spring Break.

It is sad to say this is not a rare occurrence on this campus. Eastern has rightfully earned the tag of a suitcase campus and the students need to open their eyes to what they miss by skipping town on a regular basis.

I hear students complain about how there is nothing to do in Charleston, the Internet doesn’t work or there is nowhere to park on campus. I just don’t get why people would make a two to three hour drive each weekend or pay $50 for a bus ticket when they have a large social base right in front of their faces.

Eastern isn’t that bad of a place to be, and students should stick around long enough to figure it out. There are more than enough of things to do if one looks hard enough and there are plenty of things to be proud of about Eastern.

Just driving through the heart of campus and down Seventh Street during the weekend, I couldn’t help but smile to see people outside enjoying the nice weather, making the most of their time staying on campus.

Games of bean bags, basketball, playing catch or just putting some hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. At night, there is bowling, movies, bars, parties, sporting events and much more.

While students complain about the lack of activities, they also complain about the lack of quality at Eastern.

They want better Internet. While in today’s society the Internet is widely used for both information and communication, remember it was not too long ago we didn’t have the Internet.

Eastern has a library in the middle of campus with many informational sources and there are more ways than e-mail and instant messenger to stay in contact with people.

There aren’t any parking spaces. Get used to this because it may get even worse, but it may be for a worthy cause. This campus is not all that big so driving is not a necessity unless you commute every day. People should suck it up and take the extra 15 minutes that it takes to walk or bike to class.

I warn the complaints could increase when the Doudna Fine Arts Center is being built because the many workers who will be constructing it will need somewhere to park.

So next time you think about complaining that everything “sucks” on this campus, be reminded you have Division I athletic teams you choose not to watch and you go to the second smallest school in the nation with a daily school newspaper.

Remember you can look outside and see the stars and can feel safe in the nice little community of Charleston.

Remember you can stare at Old Main or walk into the Booth Library entrance to see the architectural nuances. It’s actually quite refreshing and makes one appreciate the school a little more.

Put those suitcases back in the closet and those complaints right back in your mouth because this place isn’t half as bad as many people seem to think it is.