By now, most students have become aware that in the early morning of Jan. 22, a drunk driver struck a young man walking on the shoulder of Claremont Ave. After initially stopping, the driver sped away, leaving the man on the ground and injured. While EMS and law enforcement responded quickly, the thought of a hit-and-skip is a scary one.

Why was this young man walking on the side of the road to begin with? While it was not an AU student, it could have been. That is a scary thought, not only for students who venture off campus, but also to parents and the administration.

The problem is a number of students travel off campus every weekend and the weekend that this young man was hit, there was virtually nothing happening on campus.

The Coburn Art Gallery was hosting an exhibition Friday and Saturday. Track and field was away. Swimming was away. The women’s and men’s basketball games were over by 5 p.m. There was a headphone disco party in Redwood at 9 p.m.

So, where did all of AU’s students go? As usual, most went home, some stayed on campus, and the rest went out. What “going out” entails is up to each student.

Those legal may travel to a bar or several bars. Others might hear of a house party to drop in on. They may go to dinner or go bowling. They may grab some Taco Bell or head to Wal-Mart. Or they drive to Mansfield or Wooster to catch a movie or shop.

One thing is clear: Students leave campus, and they often do so on foot. They walk to Taco Bell. They walk to house parties. They walk to bars. They drive to Mansfield or Wooster. They drive to Wal-Mart. They drive to go bowling.

So while a young man who does not attend AU was the one struck and left on the shoulder of Claremont, it could have easily been a frequent fleeing student. And while the hit-and-skip driver was an Ashland resident under the influence, it could have easily been a frequent fleeing student.

It’s a hypothetical situation with a large chance of coming true, if we just wait long enough. AU wants and needs more students. The more students that come here, the more entertainment is needed. The student body is continually trying to grow larger while the events and programs remain the same size. We are like small children with even smaller attention spans. And once you have lost us, I think AU students have proven you don’t get us back. Ashland University has tried and they should be recognized for that. But students put their asses in those seats all week. There aren’t very many bribes that could put them there on the weekends. The phrase, “Work hard, play hard,” isn’t something we at the paper just made up. And it’s a phrase that has survived because it works. If something doesn’t change, it’s a phrase that could prove very dangerous. Claremont Ave. is waiting.