About 1,200 students living on campus could be facing an unpleasant visit from Penn State Housing if they don't take a few steps to comply with a recently approved state law for colleges and universities.

If residents haven't had their meningitis shots -- or signed a simple waiver form -- by the first day of the spring semester in January, they might be asked to leave their cozy corners of campus.

The time it takes or the money it costs to get the vaccination shouldn't be a reason not to go through with the process of arranging for this ounce of prevention.

Sure, the vaccine doesn't prevent all cases of meningitis, but for right now, it's about the best we have and worth the time of people living in close proximity to one another in the halls.

If getting the vaccination while still at Penn State is a problem, make an appointment with a physician you usually visit at home, perhaps over Thanksgiving break or at the end of this semester.

It might even be a good idea to sign the waiver form as soon as possible, regardless of whether you actually plan to get the shot at some place beyond Penn State.

Let the university cross you off that list, which remains way too long by this late point in the semester.

That way, we might be able to help save the housing staff from having to put on their eviction hats.

That just wouldn't be pretty.