In Memorandum...

As I was thinking about what to write today, I was inspired by the recent news that Reactor Field, the parking lot that University of Missouri students tailgate in before football games, is now closed to students.

Tailgating on college gameday is as American as apple pie or baseball (both of which, incidentally, can be found at a good tailgate.)

Some of my best memories from graduate school involve crisp fall mornings, 20 of my favorite classmates, and yes, beer. At Reactor Field.

In fairness, though, responsible 20-something journalism graduate students are not of concern to the university. But it's a shame that a few beer-soaked, aggressive bad seeds (like the guy with 800 beers in his trunk. 800 beers?!?!) have to ruin the fun for the rest of us by getting sloppy and starting fights. Reading the comments following the Columbia Tribune article demonstrates very clearly that there is some controversy here. I'm sure my fellow graduates share my regret about Reactor's closing.

In other Mizzou news, Anheuser-Busch has begun promoting "fan cans"--cans of Bud Light adorned in college colors for the football season.

Hmmm, drink Bud Light and show your school spirit. How is this good for underage drinking?


One more thing about college drinking (only because I have opinions about it):

I feel very torn about the term "party school."

I am a proud graduate of UC Santa Barbara.

And I hear all of the time, "You went to UCSB? Isn't that a party school?"

Apparently its reputation transcends state lines.

But I've always believed that the school is what you make of it. Sure, there was always the opportunity to have some debaucherous good times at anonymous house parties or crowded frat houses (though we didn't have football--our innertube waterpolo game tailgates just didn't measure up somehow.)

But there were also some really intelligent people at that school--people who could handle the healthy mix between school and fun (or what I affectionately call, the "work hard play hard" mentality.)

So I feel proud that UCSB is consistently ranked among the best "party schools" in the country:
#10 on Princeton Review
#5 on Pubclub.com (ahead of Georgia, Ohio State AND Arizona State. Nice!)
And #12 on Playboy

But who's counting?