VU Rep

[usc4valpo]

I don't know - perhaps the Valpo admistration should quit parenting,  have the students learn their lessons the hard way regarding drinking, and focus on enhancing the educational experience.  I have faith that the students can take responsibility during their college experience.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Man, USC, that was hilarious stuff.  I mean, sarcastic AND funny...blithely parodying the failures of the 60s AND all the aftermath.

And referencing both Animal House and every 80s & 90s college comedy ever made?

I only wish I could make people laugh out loud on the internet the way you made me.  Thanks for that

[valpotx]

Uh, they are only following the law, it has nothing to do with wanting to over-parent.  If you drink while underage, you are breaking the law.  I broke the law by doing so, and could have ruined my life if I was caught like many of my friends were.  Though a MIP offense isn't a big thing to employers, it does make an impression to have it come up on your background check with some companies.  I hope that when we all become half-cyborg with a bunch of identification chips, that there will be a foolproof system to identify underage people and not serve them.  The same goes for cars not allowing anyone that has had too much to drive.  People's moronic decisions regarding alcohol should not cause other people to lose their lives.  In fact, my company could already be working on such a thing within the car, based on all of the other stuff we are doing . 

[usc4valpo]

Apostle - Actually I was fairly serious.  I don't think there's nothing wrong having a few beers to socialize over the weekend.  You can be a great student and have a social life - know when to study and when to play.  It can be done and you don't need to slap on laws and restrictions to such a ridiculasly high extent.  Anyway, I am glad you had a good laugh; after reading it I noticed it had an Animal House Pan Hellenic council feel.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Otter: Point of parliamentary procedure!
Hoover: Don't screw around, they're serious this time!
Otter: [aside] Take it easy, I'm ELCA.
Boon: I thought you were Missouri Synod.
Otter: What's the difference? [aloud] Ladies and gentlemen, I'll be brief. The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests—we did. [winks at Dean Schwehn] But you can't hold a whole fraternity responsible for the behavior of a few, sick perverted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn't we blame the whole fraternity system? And if the whole fraternity system is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you, Charlie Gillespie: isn't this an indictment of our entire American society? Well, you can do what you you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!

[HC]

You can also socialize without drinking

[atkins]

I am also a little disturbed in the downward trend of our ranking, but not overly concerned.  We were #1 in the region throughout my entire Valpo experience (maybe #2 my last year?), but #6 isn't anything to balk at.  If we continue to slide, then I will be a little more concerned, but as long as we stay in the top 5-6, it bodes well for Valpo's future.

Rankings are essentially reputation based. Despite the claims of the various magazines that they apply other factors to determine rank, reputation is nearly always the driving factor (excepting surveys that measure alternative qualities such as student satisfaction, etc.). 

Rankings are critically important in today's competitive educational marketplace. Ironically (or perhaps not so ironically), universities often publically criticize such rankings while concurrently dedicating large amounts of time and resources to projects that are intended to bolster their rankings. Valpo has a long way to go to get back to the top, but it is possible. It will take substantial reputation building (which admittedly requires money) to begin to reverse the downward trend from #1 to #6.  Frankly, I see nothing good whatsoever in that trend, so the sooner it is reversed, the better. 

[usc4valpo]

Agreed, I just dislike seeing freedoms being removed.  There are responsible, high academic students that should have the choice, and I said choice,  to enjoy a few beers  (not binge and be a moron) and excel in their studies. At high academic schools, it has been regularly proven that it can be done.


atkins - good comments, we need to see the test scores and type of students Valpo is admitting and we should compare to these other competitive schools.   Valpo has a decent rep for what it is - a great place to get an undergraduate education and to prepare you for graduate school. 

[a3uge]

You can also socialize without drinking

Agree to disragree.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Agree to disragree.

I suppose you have to misspell that, given both your position and the time posted.

[usc4valpo]

Hey, disagreeing is OK. There is nothing wrong taking different perspectives on this.

[valpotx]

Maybe it is just because alcohol of all types tastes so terrible to me, but I never want a cold beer on a warm day.  Give me water or a Dr. Pepper

[usc4valpo]

and that is fine!  I just don't want the moralists and the fundamentalists proposing that banning alcohol in a strict manner with improve Valpo's academic reputation.  That theory is just plain wrong.

[valpotx]

I don't think that it is banning alcohol in general that people are speaking about, but rather not letting underage kids drink, as it is illegal anyways...

[historyman]

I don't think that it is banning alcohol in general that people are speaking about, but rather not letting underage kids drink, as it is illegal anyways...

And it is a huge liability for the university due to the current laws of our society. The world has changed and VU must change with it. Large state universities are able to take on larger liability due to having larger budgets and endowments than a school the size of Valpo.

[usc4valpo]

Banning alcohol completely will solve the problem?  We should go back to the 20's and look what prohibition did.

Just because you legislate a law does not mean it will not continue.  Also, times are changing as seen in Colorado and Washington with another substance, and availability will occur in more states.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

We should go back to the 20's and look what prohibition did.

I know it will come as a surprise as the board's resident Catholic, but I will say this for Prohibition--it solved the problem of public drunkenness and excess.  It largely solved the problem that so many working-class women faced of a husband coming home having drunk the majority of his paycheck.  (How do you think 3/4 of states passed it in the first place?  Women's suffrage.)

(Of course, I am descended from the Welches, one of whom ran for NY gov on the Prohibition ticket, so, not totally unbiased in this.)

But while I'm not in favor of heavy-handed government solutions, I think there was a time and a place for something like Prohibition.  We will witness the results that rolling back the marijuana ban...well, heck, we're already seeing them come to light.  And it's not pretty, bong jokes aside.

At the end of the day, I think what needs to be asked in legislating drugs is a single question:  do I want my son/daughter on these?  If yes, then fine.  If not, then why make it possible for someone else's kids?

[usc4valpo]

As a parent, the issue is not do I want them on drugs or alcohol, but I wish the solution would be to allow them the choice as a legal adult to be educated on drugs and allow them to make their own decision.  Just because you make it illegal does not mean the drug will be inaccessible and they not find it available.

The sad thing these days are the consistent loss of freedoms in this country.

[valpotx]

This marijuana movement is going to bite states in the butt.  Yes, Colorado made a hefty profit off what they sold so far, but there have been many instances of people that are high driving vehicles and causing accidents/crime, similar to alcohol.  The whole argument that marijuana is not as bad as alcohol is complete BS.  Drugs are illegal and should stay that way, and we shouldn't have morons running around our streets with access to such things (legally or illegally), as it puts law-abiding citizens in danger of losing their lives.  I shouldn't have to suffer a possible injury because you decided that your life sucks and you need to get high or drink your problems away...

[a3uge]

As a parent, the issue is not do I want them on drugs or alcohol, but I wish the solution would be to allow them the choice as a legal adult to be educated on drugs and allow them to make their own decision.  Just because you make it illegal does not mean the drug will be inaccessible and they not find it available.

The sad thing these days are the consistent loss of freedoms in this country.

Legalize Heroin!

[usc4valpo]

Alcohol is a drug, should we ban that too?

[a3uge]

Alcohol is a drug, should we ban that too?

Nope, all drugs should be legalized because people are going to find a way to do them anyways. Plus, people have the right to decide if they want to try heroin or not.

[crusaderjoe]

This marijuana movement is going to bite states in the butt.  Yes, Colorado made a hefty profit off what they sold so far, but there have been many instances of people that are high driving vehicles and causing accidents/crime, similar to alcohol.  The whole argument that marijuana is not as bad as alcohol is complete BS.  Drugs are illegal and should stay that way, and we shouldn't have morons running around our streets with access to such things (legally or illegally), as it puts law-abiding citizens in danger of losing their lives.  I shouldn't have to suffer a possible injury because you decided that your life sucks and you need to get high or drink your problems away...

Let's not paint that brush stroke too broadly.  There are certain oils and strains from hemp that can provide therapeutic benefit for certain neurological disorders, among others. 

See:  http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/charlottes-web-medical-cannabis-soon-to-be-widely-available-to-colorado-children

See:  http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/07/health/charlotte-child-medical-marijuana/

See:  http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/kids-seizure-charlotte-web-pot-treatment-article-1.1619066

[usc4valpo]

Hey, you just need to think about it, there are responsible people that like to engage in a drink now and then.  You can drink massive amounts of caffeine and overreact or go spastic.  Does that mean we should ban coffee too?

[valpotx]

Sure, let's ban alcohol, smoking, and coffee .  I don't partake in any of those, either. 

In all seriousness, I fully understand that people want their liberties, but if it affects people who don't partake in such things by endangering their lives because of irresponsible people, it should be looked at more thoroughly.  My life should not be put in jeopardy because you want to drink and then drive, or get in another state of mind by being high.  I am absolutely loving the DFW regulations being put in place in regards to smoking within a certain distance of buildings, as I shouldn't have to inhale your cigarette smoke everywhere I walk, damaging my lungs.  We have enough pollution in the air to affect each of us already, I don't need doses of nicotine from other people on top of that amount.