It is unfortunate that the same students who were "dazzled and delighted" by the Leonid meteor shower on the morning of Nov. 18 were not respectful enough of the environment to extinguish their fire or clean up their trash. Exhausted and bleary-eyed after the long night of star gazing, my friends and I trudged down the trail to find our cars covered in soot from a bonfire still burning within feet from our vehicles.

The ground was littered with beer cans and bottles although a trash receptacle was in clear view. After picking up the refuse left behind by our fellow stargazers, we wiped off our windshields and drove home. It's a wonder that such nature lovers can be so ignorant to respecting the outdoors.