To the College Students Celebrating Hallow-weekend:

Have fun, be spontaneous, but most importantly, be safe.

It's that time of the year, Hallow-weekend, the weekend that college students start planning for and start talking about at the beginning of the fall semester. They start inviting all their friends from back home, start planning their costumes, and began the countdown to this renown weekend.

So often, we get caught up the in all the fun of the weekend and festivities that sometimes we forget that our actions do have consequences. Sometimes we forget that our actions don't just affect us, but affects those around us, those who love us and have invested their time in us.

All it takes is one mistake.

One mistake that can irrevocably alter your life.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you not to drink — I guarantee you have heard that lecture a thousand times in your life before. I am also not going to sit here and tell you that to fit in, you have to drink, because if anyone ever tells you that they are lying.

By no means do you ever have to drink to fit in.

By no means do you have to drink at a party, there are plenty of other things to do like dancing, playing mom for the night (honestly, one of my personal favorites), or just going to show off your snazzy costume you put all that thought into.

In the end, I cannot create the outcome of your weekend, only you can do that. You make your own choices, you choose what kind of decisions you make. So ask yourself, how do you want your weekend to play out? What will you do to allow this to happen?

Once again, I am not here to lecture you. I will tell you though that no parent wants to get that call, that their child is in the hospital. I will tell you that none of your friends want to be obligated to babysitting you the whole night or make that decision of when you've had too much.

Remember your reputation, that you've worked hard for. Remember your morals that you have stuck to your whole life. Do not throw them all away for one weekend. Live a life that you're proud of. Live up to a weekend, that reflects that.

This weekend only happens once a year, so yes, go out and have fun. Dance the night away, cherish the time with friends, old and new.

Finally, make good choices. Choices that you don't have to lie to your mom about on the phone. Choices, that reflect who you are as an individual, from the inside and out. Choices that you can say "Wow, that was a great night," with no regrets.

Wishing you all a fun, safe, and spooky Hallow-weekend.