Spring Break is over—hopefully everyone had a good break and is returning to campus with clean laundry and a refreshed attitude. This is it: the last six weeks of class, the last lap, home stretch, final push or whatever other cliché fits. Finals and commencement, once impossibly distant, are now right around the corner.

Spring is a busy time for the Case Western Reserve University Police Department, and not always in a good way, although we welcome the return of that unfamiliar yellow orb in the sky as much as anyone. Alcohol transports and incidents tend to go up, so consider a little moderation and realize if you can no longer speak your first language effectively, it’s probably past time to stop.

Spring brings out flowers, birds and thieves, especially bike thieves and thieves who like to lurk around basketball courts and running tracks to see who has left valuables by the side of the track or court. So leave your valuables at home and lock up your bikes, preferably with a U-lock.

We have had a few robbery incidents this semester, so always be aware of your surroundings, don’t be too deeply buried in your electronics and use services like Safe Ride and shuttle buses as needed. Awareness can also help as you navigate the often congested University Circle area without incident—it helps keep your head up to watch for motorists, cyclists, new construction and so on. Following the whole red light/green light thing helps too, something seemingly ignored by University Circle pedestrians on a daily basis.

And while we have mentioned the issue of depression and the University Counseling Center as a resource before, it bears repeating, as with good weather comes the arrival of final exams, which bring their own brand of stress.

So this is it, we are rounding third and heading for home. Let’s all get there safely, and let’s look out for each other.