Campus’ silence was suddenly broken last week as minivans loaded with futons, mini-refrigerators and computers flooded into campus, clogging roadways as they headed to unload their precious cargoes.

And while the influx of students back to campus ends the summertime splendor of short lines at night hot spots and nearly non-existent traffic, it’s a welcome sign to a new school year.

The puzzling fact is most students are ready to be back to East Lansing - well, at least we are. The voyage to MSU - even if it means a return to the classroom and maybe even a few trips to the library now and then - means making new friends, reconnecting with those we’ve been separated from during the heat of this summer and returning to the somewhat carefree days of college life.

Despite the downsides associated with the end of our quiet summer setting, the throngs of students on campus are a nice sight for those of us who have been around here for the past three months.

Sure, traffic is bad again and we may never make it to the front of the line this Friday night, but we’ve managed the congestion before and the bargains at area retailers are certainly much better now. And, if we can be a little selfish, adding thousands and thousands of people to campus is certain to make the pages of our newspaper a little more exciting.

Besides, what would football Saturday be like with no one here to enjoy it?

Losing the peaceful sounds of the crickets and frogs at dusk to the shouts and squeals of herds of people frolicking through the night is a small price to pay.