By Oldprof

April 10, 2006 12:22 AM | Link to this

Sorry, I don’t read books. Especially not those from professors who testified before congress—what must that prof have done to schmooze the legislature? I am, however, aware that the statistics often cited about alcohol abuse are untrustworthy. As for whether students are dedicated or debauched, I’d say it depends on the individual’s familiarity with Plato’s “Symposium” and the works of Baudelaire.

By Mary

April 8, 2006 8:27 AM | Link to this

It was either my bad writing or your bad reading, old prof, that caused you to think I meant student loans caused alcoholism - but there is some correlation. Read the book “Beer and Circus” written by a professor who has testified before Congress. Also read “The Game of Life” by a former university president who is being used as a consultant for the current Duke lacrosse team fiasco. I have also read about a website set up by grieving parents who lost their beautiful daughter to alcohol poisoning while she was at college. Then there is the column in USA Today’s Friday sports pages “Alcohol turns tide of culture”. So what is more important in the life of today’s college students, partying or professors, old prof?

By Oldprof

April 7, 2006 5:23 PM | Link to this

So having a student loan leads to alcoholism? Gee, I thought the statistics showed a higher substance abuse rate among those with lower education levels. More to the point, all students can go to college if they choose to start at an open-admissions school like a community college—though that’s starting to get squeezed too, since states are not funding enrollment growth, and so some colleges are having to cancel classes (which, de facto, limits enrollment) because they can’t afford to hire qualified faculty. And so once again we recite the old equation: education is expensive, but ignorance costs much more.

By Mary

April 7, 2006 1:19 PM | Link to this

Before reading the article (I will try to locate the link later )the situation is probably overhyped. I think a figure in another article a few weeks ago pointed out most colleges accept 85% of their applicants. College itself is over-hyped in some schools. Some students would be happier and better off, as well as society, if more were encouraged to consider vocational schools and careers. A few years ago, USA Today had an article about college grads going to vocational school after college so they could work in what they wanted in the first place and get a job. The vocational jobs were actually higher paying. Today, while talking with a sister living in Birmingham, Alabama, she mentioned a school district that has a new special high school program for students not interested in the college track. Apparently, not many school districts encourage these students. We seem to be a culture of hype rather than common sense. The students turned down for college for now might possibly be better off. They will not be running up student loans that cause them to have to move back in with mom and dad or learning how to become alcoholics, etc. The situation of having to move back home is the theme of a movie, I think, as well as recent news articles. I am not sure the highest potential students are being encouraged for college. That might be the real tragedy. As far as I am concerned, the learning atmosphere of all phases of our education system are off track.