It’s that time of year again. The time when the air gets crisp, the leaves start to fall and the pumpkins get smashed.

Wait….what? For some reason, college kids across the nation take to vandalism to have fun during the brisk fall nights. The City of Wayne is no exception. But what happens when it gets taken too far?

On Oct. 12, a rock sailed through the bedroom window of a home on Logan Street in Wayne. At 2:30 a.m., a couple woke to people running around in the street in front of their home followed by the sound of breaking glass.

How did this become the norm? At what point did college students decide the willful destruction of someone else’s property, a crime that could put them behind bars or paying restitution, is a great way to spend the time? Most of the time, it’s just a pumpkin or two…or ten…but all in all, it’s still vandalism.

Smashers, think about it. Have you ever been forced to tell a child the project they’ve worked hard on has been destroyed for whatever reason? No? Well it’s no walk in the park. Their eyes fill with tears while the bottom lip pops out. Now add into the equation the “just for fun” part of pumpkin smashing. How do you explain it? What kind of person are you if you enjoy intentionally ruining a child’s work? It’s mundane to you, but in their world, it’s a big deal.

Not only do families in town worry for their kid’s artwork, they also have to worry about a group of college kids breaking their windows.

Time to step it up, college kids. There’s no reason the town you call home most of the year should be treated this way. You’re making a name for yourself the wrong way.