The U.S. Naval Academy is set to hold its annual graduation and commissioning ceremonies a week from Friday. It's a thrilling spectacle and even the days leading to it are eventful, with a color parade and Blue Angels show. But, really, wouldn't it be even better if it involved superheroes, a la Marvel or DC Comics?

Turns out, that future is closer than you think. The life of the Naval Academy midshipman has been translated to a comic book called "Bravo Zulu." Only in the middie universe, the good guys don't face Lex Luthor and the Joker -- but they do have to overcome plebe summer and the challenges of Annapolis in order to become Navy SEALs and take on pirates.

The idea is to hand out the comic to prospective mids so they understand exactly what they're getting into. It's a great idea but doesn't go quite far enough.

Continue reading "Attack of the 50-foot professor!" »

Posted by Peter Jensen at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Higher education
        

Alcohol abuse on college campuses is a serious matter, but school administrators face a difficult dilemma when tough rules on illegal drinking end up discouraging students from reporting dangerous situations.

That's why a growing number of schools are adopting so-called "good Samaritan" rules so that in medical emergencies, violations of campus alcohol policies will not necessarily be enforced. In College Park, the University of Maryland's University Senate is expected to endorse such a policy on a one-year trial basis Thursday.

What this means is that if a student summons emergency medical assistance for himself or herself or on behalf of a fellow student and is found to be under the influence or in possession of alcohol will not be disciplined for that offense. Instead, he or she will be evaluated by medical staff to determine if an alcohol intervention is necessary.

That may strike some as getting off easy, but colleges need to make student safety their paramount concern. Studies have found that about 1,700 college students die each year from alcohol-related, unintentional injuries.

Continue reading "Binge drinking and good Samaritans" »

Posted by Peter Jensen at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Higher education