A sobering argument for Friday classes

The trend now is to hold college classes Mon-Wed and Tue-Thur. No Fridays no' mo'.

And this has led to more Thursday night binge drinking by students, says this study, quoted today in USA Today.

Of course, the study doesn't take into account the profs who enjoy three-day weekends. And who may do a bit of Thursday night tippling themselves.

In 2021 this one will be in your freshman class

What do you mean you don't have apple juice, bitch! And I think you WILL let me into your over-enrolled class, bitch!

A story with no one to root for

She cries rape. He's expelled. But the judicial process wasn't exactly pristine in the case.

Another one handled abysmally by the school. The DMN has the story today.

I typically heard one of these stories--or one very similar-- every semester. Completely changed my mind about "date rape." If you drink to excess, you give up your power. That's how I see it.

And ladies, never accept rides from strangers. Even if they're harmless looking business majors.

Thanks, Roomie!

In my role as journalista culturata, I was chasing a story last week about a Disney Channel documentary being shot around here. Since I write for money for a blog about television, I knew it could be a quick turnaround. Then I got a press release about it from Disney and, holy dorm key, Batman! One of the people appearing in the docu is my old college roommate, the slutty/pretty one about which I wrote a few posts back (scroll down to find it).

Her email address was included and even though we haven't been in contact for a couple of decades, I thought, hey, it will be an easy "get," as we journalistas say. I mean, we know each other. And unless she reads blogs (ahem, shifts in chair), there's no reason she shouldn't call me back.

A day goes by. Then another. And I get an email from someone writing on behalf of Roomie to say that Roomie will call me over the weekend. Roomie now has "people" who return her messages for her.

This cracks me to pieces.

So a day goes by. And it's Sunday and then Monday. Roomie never calls. I get an email from her "person" to ask if I'd "gotten everything you need." That's PR talk for "Can we scratch you off the list now? And could you go away?"

I've been blown off royally by someone I used to see in her underwear. I wonder if this ever happens to Anderson Cooper. It couldn't happen to Larry King because everyone he grew up with is dead. And has been for 20 years. And has he.

Now here's the funny part about my interview quest with Roomie--not ha-ha funny but odd-funny. Roomie's "person" passes along a message saying that Roomie had no idea I was "back in town" and working for local media.

No idea! And I've had a column with my name on it in a fairly prominent publication for the past six years.

Roomie doesn't read me, I guess. Or she's pretending she doesn't.

It is to laugh.

I forwarded all this to our other roommate, the one with whom I was recently on the phone for a long, giggly chat about old times. Here was Roomie Three's response: "Here's why she didn't want to be interviewed: She probably weighs 500 pounds!"

And thus we revert to our 19-year-old selves. Pass the Jiffy-Pop.

The Stiles want someone investigated

But the school won't do it. Hmm, wonder why? Because maybe the path would lead to a frat brother of the victim? And we wouldn't want a nice fraternity boy to stand accused of a dirty crime like drug dealing and possible manslaughter, would we?

Here's what Jake Stiles' parents told their hometown paper, the Naperville Sun.

Snowing Over There

The students call it "snow." Not all that original a name for cocaine, huh.

A sophomore who died in his frat house bedroom had it in his system, along with other drugs, including the powerful painkiller fentanyl. Months after his son's death, the student's father says campus security did little to investigate the drug angle. There were text messages on the young man's phone, for instance, that directly referred to "snow." And in his own investigation, the dad says he's heard about rampant drug use at the frat and ritual hazing that involved drugging pledges' drinks.

Campus security shrugs its collective shoulders.

Drugs on that campus? Hazing? They are shocked! Shocked!

Read the DMN store on this one here.