Old Enough to Drink

We know that Worcester is a college town, despite what City Hall and our City Councilors may say.  With a student population that grows by close to 20,000 every fall, there is no denying it and these under 21-year-olds are going to get their hands on alcohol "By Any Means Necessary".

There are two kinds of students: those that possess a fake ID that affords them the ability to buy alcohol or the underclassman that knows an upperclassmen that serves as their 'supplier', buying them everything under the sun from Boone's Farm, Mad Dog 20/20, Cisco, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Old Milwaukee's Best beer (hey, most college kids don't have alot of money to afford the 'good stuff').

Four Loko, which was referred to as "witch's brew" by Connecticut Senator-elect Richard Blumenthal, was a perfectly marketed beverage that college-aged drinkers consumed as a pregaming beverage.

Having experienced college at a Bryant University (when I attended, it was Bryant College) it was a prerequisite to 'pregame' before venturing to either a baseball, fraternity or a DAWGS party and I witnessed friends pounding Natural Ice beers like they were drinking Gatorade or slinging back shots of Jim Bean, Southern Comfort or Goldschlager (some folks I knew had a little more "paper" to buy the 'good stuff'.) 

I never understood the concept of 'getting nice' before heading out to a party.  Having grown up in the Virgin Islands where the legal drinking age is 21-years-old, but it was hardly enforced.  It used to be that if you could reach the bar, you could order a drink, and, if questioned, you could just say that it was for your father who was sitting in the car. (I miss those days.)

Also, I grew up in a household where alcohol was very plentiful, and I was able to have my first alcoholic drink at 8-years-old (Kahlua and milk).

So, my argument for lowering the drinking age to 18-years-old comes with a belief that if we do a better job educating young adults about drinking in moderation, and seeing older adults modeling the benefits of socializing with their fellow higher-learning road warriors, there would be less trips to the local emergency rooms for alcohol-related issues.

Having worked at two Catholic, Jesuit colleges in Massachusetts, I can tell you firsthand stories of students falling down stairs, falling out of windows, being struck by cars or committing a violent act while drunk.  Some of these incidents, to this day, leave me shaking my head and questioning.......everything.

 Two years ago a new program was launched by a number of college and university presidents--the Amethyst Initiative.  The purpose of the Amethyst Initiative was to serve as a way for colleges to discuss the drinking age and their hope to lower the drinking age to 18-years-old.  After the Amethyst Initiative was launched MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) looked to persuade parents to not send their children to those schools, of which, a number of them are in Massachusetts- Tufts, Mount Holyoke, Emerson, Smith, Holy Cross, and the University of Massachusetts. 

So, the conversation about lowering the legal drinking age has no legs to stand on, and we're stuck at an impasse with a pack of elephants that are blocking the road.

With the banned sale of Four Loko we can look upon the horizon, and I can foresee the next item that will be debated and banned by the FDA: Cream. (Really, that's it's name.)

Cream, a whipped cream with 30-proof alcohol, hit Boston and Worcester liquor store shelves in November.  It comes in six flavors and doesn't need to be refrigerated.(perfect for collegiate, right?)  The product's website states that each can contains 26 shots, and Cream is especially tasty on Jell-O shots or "straight up" from the can.  Does this stuff sound familiar?

Early Decision: Playing the College Admissions game

I had an argument with a mixed group of educated, and, what I'd deem, "smart" people who know a thing or two about psychology, education and business. The argument involved applying to college.

The topic came up because I stated that a young lady, that I know personally, used her ability to play squash to "help" get her admitted, early decision, to Princeton University. I stated that the young lady who is White, and comes from a wealthy family, figured out what her options were and played her cards right (Her high school transcript and overall "profile" was not as strong as some other applicants).

I stated that the same thing happens with Black students, particularly students-athletes, who are encouraged by the athletic department and the respective coach, to apply Early Decision or Early Action.

It was about 3-years ago, Harvard University did away with Early Decision and the other Ivy League schools followed suit and so did local colleges --College of the Holy Cross, Assumption College and Clark University. (I know a thing or two about Admissions and Early Decision/Early Action because I used to work in college admissions.)

Back to the argument: Why should a kid, who hasn't performed to the their fullest ability, be admitted to college by applying as an Early Decision applicant?

Well, it all boils down to getting admitted to the student's number 1 school!

The kid that applies "Early Decision" may feel that their application is not that strong and if thrown in with all the other applicants, they would surely be denied or, hopefully, wait-listed.

For the college/ university it makes sense to secure a good portion of the class before the end of December. Also, a big piece of the puzzle involves MONEY!

Students that apply "Early Decision" rarely receive any financial aid and have to pay for tuition, room and board out of pocket or they have to secure outside grants or scholarships or apply for a student loan.

You see, the high school guidance counselors know this, the admissions counselors know it, and yet many families and the applicant make this "commitment" to the college, typically before Christmas.

Adding insult to injury, most colleges/ universities now accept the "Common Application", and it allows students to apply to more colleges of their choice, electronically, with one application and a few, if any, supplements.

Nowadays, high school seniors are applying to, on average, 10 colleges! Yes, you read that correctly......they're applying to 10 schools (way too many, in my opinion).

So the conversation continued for another 45-minutes about the young lady that applied to Princeton University. Two people argued that she "used the tools that were in her toolbox" to gain admittance, while three (3) folks felt that she "played the system", and shouldn't have been admitted. They were very adamant that she was probably taking a space from someone who was better qualified and would benefit from an education at prestigious Princeton.

Let's just say that the conversation would have continued for a few more hours, but it was getting late and we agreed that we'd continue this conversation the next time we got together. (I'll be sure to write about that conversation and its many hot buttons.)

There's Money in Coaching

I was thinking about recently-fired College of the Holy Cross men's basketball coach Sean Kearney and his brother-from-another-mother colleague, Al Skinner, who, too, was fired from his post at Boston College.

I'm sure Sean Kearney didn't see the amount of dollars that Al made, but I'm sure he was well compensated in today's economy.

It appears that Boston College has found Al's replacement and he hails from Cornell University, and his name is Steve Donahue.

Not one to "hate on anyone's pockets", but I must say that Steve Donahue is no financial genius, but he knows a good deal when he sees one. He turns down Hofstra University's offer of $750k to sign a deal reported, at a minimum, as $900k at The Heights.

Maybe Steve can hook Sean up with the CliffsNotes, and Sean can make his way down 95-South to New York City?

Meanwhile, Al Skinner is still "job searching" and I hear that he may end up somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Laying the Smack down: Holy Cross fires Coach Kearney

Father Michael McFarland must have been feeling the heat and thus Dick Regan was feeling it, too!

Holy Cross has decided to fire first-year men's basketball coach Sean Kearney.

Who says athletics don't matter to the folks high atop Mount St. James?

The College has to keep us with the Jones' now that tuition, room and board for the 2010-2011 academic year will surpass the $50k-per-year mark. (Take solace that the full nut is currently $49,342.)