Lessons

Tired of the hype about the scandal at Duke University ??? Me too !!
I am bleary eyed and head spinning confused about what the facts are and who to believe.

What I do believe is that in all of this lacrosse-underage- beer keg -stripping-assault-or- not MESS that has taken place at Duke.......
there are LESSONS. ... lessons for parents, coaches, universities, and students. Lessons even though we don't really know who is telling the truth. Lessons because I have teens who will soon be in college and I want to make sure they remember the LESSONS and not the CONFUSION.

LESSONS :

PARENTS : If your son pools his allowance to hire $400.00 strippers...he has too much money...take away his allowance and tell him to get a job.

STUDENTS : If you choose to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and choose to use your money to bring strippers and alcohol to the wrong place... you could lose all of you semester hours, your name, your reputation, and thousands and thousands of your parents hard earned money despite your guilt or innocence . You will spend many many years overcoming the consequences of your choice.

COACHES : If you employ a "don't ask don't tell " policy with your teams social-behavior develpment you are flirting with disaster. A disaster in which you could lose your job and your entire program. Teach to the WHOLE child , you have the leverage, use it !

UNIVERSITIES : HELLO ????? How many chances do they get ??? You now have national reputation problems that will take years and millions to repair.

And the lesson for moi ? ...
an editorial in our newspaper summed it up :

Smart parents tell their kids that a failure is wasted if no lesson is learned from it.

Forever and ever amen.