1985
“Michael Phelps: Dope,” “Gold Medal Career Goes Up in Smoke,” “Michael Phelps: Model Pothead.” Old news by the time you read this column, or certainly over-shadowed by the latest financial fraud, bizarre celebrity sighting or government stimulus effort. But in reviewing some of these headlines as I now write it made me wonder what it would have been like in our days at the College on the Hill if absolutely everything you ever did had the potential of being simultaneously photographed, recorded and then YouTubed for the entire world—or to those with Internet access, so virtually the entire world—to tune in to with a click of a button. How do you suppose beerpong in the basement of Phi Delt, keg-jumping in front of Psi U or any number of other “traditional” Big Green activities would play to the broader masses? I shudder to think. I know this makes me sound like some sort of rockingchair old geezer but today’s young generation is growing up in a very different world than we experienced. I always thought youthful mistakes of judgment (within reason, mind you) were supposed to be used as a learning lesson/teaching tool on some level. I still get queasy just hearing the phrase “apple smashers,” a harsh reminder of a few too many one young night, many moons ago.
Remember those songs ringing around campus encouraging harmless, rambunctious behavior by silly sophomores, drunken juniors, grand ole seniors? No more. Today the rope is quite short and there are rarely many, if any, first strikes before you’re out. Nowadays, just being in a room makes you guilty and makes you extremely vulnerable to being captured by the ubiquitous iPhone camera. Phelps makes unprecedented history in the 2008 Olympics and a few short months later he is completely vilified for forever tainting his role model image, loses several endorsements and is banned from his sport for three months. Not to excuse his activity, but how about this double standard: I hear there once was this guy who smoked marijuana but did not inhale and he became president of the United States. Meanwhile A-Rod explains away his positive drug tested steroid-use days as being young and curious, and he remains on a professional baseball team with a $350 million contract. Who took the Phelps picture and stooped so low as to sell it to the British tabloids?
I digress, so on to more relevant topics. There is a sliver of classmate news to share. Remember NECCO brand candies—those chalky wafers in a variety of flavors, including chocolate? A true American classic and I bet you didn’t know that during World War II those wafers were commissioned by the United States government as treats for American soldiers because they are fortuitously resistant to destruction, making them something of a victory candy. And now our very own David North has just been named chief financial officer at NECCO. David will manage all of the company’s finance and accounting operations, strategic planning, information technology and serve on the company’s leadership team. With our 25th just around the corner, we’re angling for boxes of those classic candies to be scattered among activities. I actually saw them used once as edible poker chips.
Valerie Hartman Levy’s eldest, Charlie, was called to the torah as a bar mitzvah in March. Marking a significant milestone familiar to many, Charlie’s mitzvah project “Nothing but Nets” raised funds to provide malaria nets to families throughout Africa. Mazel-tov to you, Charlie! Now that’s what I call a great note to end on.
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