It’s quite easy to push the pedal to the metal, flip off that tailgater and scream a string of obscenities at no one in particular while you’re driving. It’s also easy for that tailgater to get out of his or her car at the next light and start threatening you. Road rage is becoming increasingly common on America’s streets and highways and though college students may be the victims of it, often times they are the aggressors.

“We want to retaliate and punish this person and let them know they’ve done something wrong and make sure they’re not going to get away with it.” LEON JAMES, social psychologist, University of Hawaii

Leon James, a social psychologist at the University of Hawaii who is also a traffic psychologist known as Dr. Driving, says, “Even though incidences of road rage are rare in the newspapers — there might be a thousand a year, millions of aggressive exchanges take place on the roads every day.” In extreme cases of road rage, people can end up dead - or their passengers can.

In September of 1999, two brothers were charged with stabbing a man to death in front of his wife and five daughters in a horrific road rage incident in Seattle.

In October of 1999 a Las Vegas woman was indicted after she allegedly cut off a tractor-trailer that was driving too slowly, then slammed on her brakes. A motorcyclist following that truck crashed into it and died of massive head injuries.

Last February a still unidentified man got out of his car after a fender bender in San Jose, California. He approached the other driver, reached inside her car, grabbed her dog and threw the bichon frise into oncoming traffic. The canine was killed after being run over.

Although the perpetrators in none of these instances were college-age, James says college students are among a segment of the population that comprises the most aggressive drivers. Basically in the world of road rage, the younger the driver the more aggressive. James explains; “In college, students still have a tendency to act like teenagers in that they take a lot of risks. The question is when do we learn as drivers not to take risks? That’s after the college years.”

John Richardson, a student at Birmingham Southern College, considers himself to be a good and courteous driver. Even though he’s proud of his own habits behind the wheel and relates that his friends are pretty good drivers, too, he says, “There are some good reasons to the notion that [students] are younger and therefore more carefree and less aware of consequences. So they might drive faster and show less caution.”

Age isn’t the only factor in aggressive driving. James’ research also shows that being a road hog has a lot to do with gender and what kind of car a person drives.

James says, in general, men are more aggressive drivers than women. And as far as cars go, if the highways were oceans then sports cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles would be the sharks, whereas economy cars, family cars and vans would be the angel fish.

There are no hard-line explanations as to why different cars are driven more or less aggressively, but James thinks most likely there are multiple factors at play. It might have to do with the idea that more aggressive people are drawn to certain cars, and it could also mean that certain vehicles make drivers feel more aggressive. After all it’s easier to feel like the king of the road when one is cruising around in a Ford Explorer rather than a Dodge Neon.

“I’ve gotten irritated with drivers, especially when I’m running late. …People going below the speed limit and people who turn on their turn signal and never turn it off.” ALLISON RICHARDS, University of Arkansas student

Driving for most folks is a very personal thing, which means emotions run high. “Driving is a particularly dramatic and challenging experience for most people,” James says. “Things happen fast and whatever happens could cost you money and physical injury.”

When people feel threatened on the roads their first instinct is to lash out. James offers, “We want to retaliate and punish this person and let them know they’ve done something wrong and make sure they’re not going to get away with it. We may want to prove that we’re not a wimp. There are a thousand reasons and all of them are cultural.”

Those cultural reasons were at play when Richardson got into a little accident shortly after he got his license. He says, “I was on my way to school and there was a solid green light ahead of me. …Someone was coming from the other road and wanted to go left in front of me. I had the right of way but I could have avoided the other person if I just slowed down. But I felt I was right and I went through and they turned and we had a little fender bender.”

Richardson’s experience certainly doesn’t qualify as road rage but the feelings that contributed to his accident, that he was right and therefore had a right to keep going, are the same emotions that road rage feeds on.

“When something happens that threatens you, you are challenged emotionally to respond. But you have to respond intelligently rather than provocatively,” says James.

One way to behave intelligently is to drive defensively. Be on the lookout for others who might be on the edge. James has created a list of behaviors that correlate to aggressive driving syndrome, which can be a precursor to road rage.

Signs of Aggressive Driving

1. Drivers who speed.
2. Drivers who yell at other drivers.
3. Drivers who make a lot of insulting gestures or honk a lot.
4. Drivers who tailgate and cut people off.

James says it’s best not to retaliate when you’re behind the wheel. Patience is the key to avoiding road rage, but such a virtue can be hard to come by when one is behind the wheel, especially considering that most drivers have their own traffic pet peeves. Those little things that can light a fire beneath bedraggled commuters.

“I’ve gotten irritated with drivers, especially when I’m running late and want to get somewhere in a hurry,” says Allison Richards, a student at the University of Arkansas. Among Richards’ pet peeves, “People going below the speed limit and people who turn on their turn signal and never turn it off.”

Commuters’ top pet peeves, according to James, are putting on the turn signal long before they need to, cutting off someone then slowing down, tailgating, aggressive braking or acceleration and late merging.

“I discovered a whole new world while talking on my tape recorder. I was swearing a lot. …I got angry and really hostile. I was yelling at people.” LEON JAMES, social psychologist, University of Hawaii

All these behaviors do nothing but agitate drivers. But do not retaliate. One has to take a step back when these behaviors emerge on the highway. James says the first step to changing a driver’s warlike ways on the road is to take a look in the mirror. It’s not always the other guy’s fault.

“Just like an alcoholic has to acknowledge that they have a problem, traffic emotions need to be acknowledged,” says James. He also says a lot of people don’t even realize how they’re behaving on the roads. One way to find out is to record yourself on the next commute.

“I discovered a whole new world while talking on my tape recorder. I was swearing a lot, and I don’t swear, I’m against it for religious reasons. I got angry and really hostile. I was yelling at people and behaving very negatively,” James says.

Along with taking personal responsibility, James also proposes a policy of lifetime driver education to combat the enormous negative education that drivers have received from the first moment they were placed in a car. He says learning how to behave on the roads starts with examples set by mom and dad and from watching those edge-of-your-seat car chases in the movies and on T.V.

Ultimately the way to combat the highway mania that has taken hold of many drivers is just to be nice and courteous. And though the likes of Madonna and others have encouraged students to express themselves, James doesn’t always think this is the best idea when on the road.

He says, “Most students believe it’s better to express anger than to hold it in. That’s a big mistake. When you express your anger you basically multiply it. Expressing it is like putting your anger in an amplifier. It’s not that holding it in is what matters, but it’s better to transform it and turn it into something positive.”

Colleges and universities are not immune to the ills of the outside world. Crimes such as robbery, rape and even murder exist within the gates of the ivory tower. And when those crimes do occur, it’s not always announced with a clarion call. Sometimes universities do their best to keep the darker side of academia under wraps, preventing students from getting the whole story.

Just last week, Elmarcko Jackson, a 21-year-old football player at Temple University, was stabbed in the chest and neck during a fight with a man near a university dormitory. While Jackson survived the attack, his plight is raising awareness at Temple about campus crimes.

Rahsaan Harrison is a senior at the university studying law and business, he says, “There wasn’t really crime on campus before this that was anything big. When it did happen to Marko Jackson, people took notice. …I think people are taking a little more precaution, looking out a little more and seeing who’s out there.”

“There wasn’t really crime on campus before this that was anything big. …I think people are taking a little more precaution, looking out a little more and seeing who’s out there.” RAHSAAN HARRISON, Temple University senior

In 1997 a serial rapist was on the prowl, attacking female students on college campuses throughout the Midwest. With the turn of a doorknob, he was easily able to enter campus buildings surprising women who were working late at night in computer labs and music rooms. During the attack he would spit on his victims, interrogate them about their sex lives and finally, he would ask them to pray for him.

Vinson Horace Champ, a former “Star Search” contestant, was a comedian travelling the college circuit at the time — he was arrested in connection with several of the attacks. In 1998 he was convicted of one of those rapes, at the University of Nebraska, and he is still a suspect in as many as a dozen attacks on college campuses in six states.

According to statistics compiled by the Department of Education, about 10,000 violent crimes take place every year at four and two-year colleges nationwide. In 1994 there were 20 murders, 1,300 forcible sex offenses, 3,100 robberies and 5,100 cases of aggravated assault.

The same survey reveals that about 40,000 property crimes occur at colleges and universities yearly. Most of those offenses are burglaries and motor vehicle thefts.

Crimes on U.S. Campuses* 20 Murders 1,300 Forcible Sex Offenses 3,100 Robberies 5,100 Aggravated Assaults 40,000 Property Crimes (burglaries and car thefts) *Source: Department of Education (1994 stats)

Myra Kodner is the program coordinator for Security on Campus Inc., a nonprofit national organization that deals with the prevention of college and university campus violence and other crimes. Kodner, who believes that students can’t fully escape the realities of crime while away at school, says, “Colleges are a microcosm of society. It’s unfortunate, but it’s reality.”

The very organization she works for was formed by Howard and Connie Clery after their daughter was raped, beaten and murdered by another student in her dorm room at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in 1986.

Kodner feels school safety records should be an important consideration during a student’s application process. “You want to get a copy of campus crime statistics,” she advises. “And by law, the universities have to give those to you. You can also call local hospitals and find out about the number of students treated for alcohol poisoning, drug overdoses or sexual assaults.”

The problem is, universities aren’t always up front about the crimes that occur on their grounds. Kodner strongly suggests a visit to the campus for a firsthand look at the place. She says there are important questions to ask. “Look at the campus. You can’t judge it just by its geographic location. Notice things like the landscaping. Is there a lot of shrubbery and how is the place lit? Is there somewhere for a stalker or assailant to hide? At the dorms — do you need a key card? Is there someone at a desk, or can just anybody walk in?”

Harrison says campus crime wasn’t high on his list of concerns when he applied to Temple. “I didn’t even give it consideration,” he says.

But many do give it consideration. The Chronicle of Higher Education evidently views the topic relevant enough to compile their very own campus crime statistics annually. The survey is based on reports submitted by 483 four-year colleges and universities with more than 5,000 students. The survey does not break down the number of sexual assaults and murders campus by campus, but it does address weapon, alcohol and drug violations that way.

“Look at the campus. You can’t judge it just by its geographic location. Notice things like the landscaping. Is there a lot of shrubbery and how is the place lit? Is there somewhere for a stalker or assailant to hide?” MYRA KODNER, program coordinator for Security on Campus Inc.

In 1997, Arizona State University had more weapons arrest than any other college in the country with 32. Michigan State University was a close second with 31, also reporting more alcohol arrests than any other school in the survey with 633.

When it came to drug arrests, the University of California at Berkeley led the way with 179. The University of Arizona followed with 142, and Arizona State University was third with 127.

But do statistics tell the whole story? Not all individuals arrested on campuses are students. And just because there’s a large number of arrests at a particular university, that doesn’t necessarily indicate high crime. It could point to stricter enforcement.

Stewart Adams works with the Arizona State University police department as the crime prevention coordinator. He argues that there are a number of reasons for the glut of arrests at ASU. “For the drug arrests, [the high volume] is due to the enforcement of our zero tolerance policy,” he says.

Adams also contends that there is another factor that mushrooms the school’s arrest numbers. It is directly related to football games. The school’s stadium isn’t just home to the ASU Sun Devils, it’s also the home field for an NFL franchise — the Phoenix Cardinals. Adams explains, “Our football games definitely have an impact, as well as the pro games. And that’s where we have most alcohol arrests and anything else that comes along with a game.”

Crime on Campus Highest number of arrests on U.S. campuses* Arizona State University: 32 weapons-related Michigan State University: 633 alcohol-related University of California, Berkeley: 179 drug-related *Source: Chronicle of Higher Education (1997 statistics).

In fact many of the schools high on the arrest list have Division I football programs that bring in a lot of fans to the campus on the weekends. The ensuing partying can definitely spike arrest numbers considerably.

And that’s not the only reason statistics could be misleading. Despite the fact that colleges are required by the 1990 Student-Right-to-Know Campus Security Act to disclose their crime statistics to the public, not all universities necessarily comply with the legislation. A 1997 General Accounting Office report says “colleges are having difficulty complying with the act,” then it says the Department of Education has only recently begun to systematically monitor compliance.

But just because some schools may not be telling the whole story when it comes to crime on campus, that doesn’t mean students can’t find that information themselves. Sometimes it takes a common sense approach to figure out just what kind of environment a campus offers.

Kodner advises, “When you’re looking at a campus, go see where frat row is. See what it looks like on a Friday or Saturday night and ask yourself if you would want to live next door to this.”

With all the wonders and excitement that college life offers, it also brings with it something else that isn’t always quite as appealing - roommates. Grime encrusted dishes, blaring music, buzz-saw snoring, annoying boyfriends and girlfriends; it can all make for an intolerable four years. Everybody has a collection of roommate horror stories but sometimes the no-good, sloppy roommate from those tales can be the least of one’s worries. Especially when roommates get violent.

Kortney Wilson is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin. Though she’s had her difficulties sharing rooms, she has never engaged in roommate fisticuffs, but that doesn’t mean she’s completely unfamiliar with them. Someone she knows recently became embroiled in a roomie brawl.

“I had a friend who got into a fight with a roommate and now they’re going to go to court over it. They didn’t know each other really well and one day they just got into it,” she says.

George Long, a student at the University of Maryland, is also aware of roommate violence incidences at his school. In particular, he knows of a group of students who attacked one of their housemates almost regularly. Long explains, “I know [they] would break into their roommate’s room and mess with his stuff and antagonize him. If he came out to stand up for himself, he would be subsequently beaten.”

As to why these students behaved so violently Long says, “It was just personal differences. They didn’t like him. They thought he wasn’t quote unquote cool. They thought he was a loser and they were just looking for trouble.”

We conducted a recent poll to find out just how common roommate violence is on the college scene. First we asked respondents if they ever had a roommate with whom they could not get along - 76.7 percent of those responding said yes. Then we asked if they ever had a roommate who had gotten violent during an argument - 30 percent said yes.

Times have changed on college campuses as they have everywhere else. As violence increases in society, so it does in academia. James Robson is the assistant director of residence life at Rutgers University. He acknowledges that nowadays there are potentially volatile situations that can develop between roommates. “A lot of students come in with a lot of baggage today. There’s emotional issues, family issues, psychological issues. The problems can get pretty intense.”

“I had a friend who got into a fight with a roommate and now they’re going to go to court over it.” KORTNEY WILSON, University of Texas at Austin junior

One reason problems get so intense today has to do with the fact that compared to students 20 years ago, this crop of scholars isn’t as accustomed to sharing. Most have never had to share a room until college. The whole roommate concept comes as a completely new experience and requires the learning of new habits.

“I would be pretty positive in saying that the majority of incoming freshmen do not have any background of sharing rooms. When you think about it, houses are getting bigger and families are getting smaller. The majority [of students] are not used to sharing,” says Robson.

Sharing may be a big issue when it comes to domestic conflicts, but so is the simple concept of scheduling. Robson says, “A lot of conflicts come up with scheduling. …Some students get up early and some are going to sleep in. If there is a difference there, it can make trouble.”

There’s another aspect to roommate violence that is also a sign of the times.

There are more students entering college today who are on medication than ever before. Individuals with schizophrenia or other psychological disorders don’t have to disclose such conditions to universities. These situations don’t always lend themselves well to cohabitation.

“Some students that come in are bipolar. And that’s tough if you’re a roommate. If one roommate is having psychological issues, the college can’t ask questions about that. And then we don’t find out about it ’til it’s becoming a problem,” explains Robson.

Most schools try to avoid initial roommate clashes by having would-be roomies fill out the ubiquitous roommate questionnaire. These tests try to gauge habits and personality, but often the results are vague and therefore not especially informative.

“I know [they] would break into their roommate’s room and mess with his stuff and antagonize him. If he came out to stand up for himself he would be subsequently beaten.” GEORGE LONG, University of Maryland student

Wilson, from the University of Texas, says she feels that these questionnaires aren’t even taken into account when universities are pairing up roommates. In her opinion, other factors take precedence. As a result, her freshman year, though not violent, was unpleasant. “I’m an African American and I was paired with another African American,” Wilson says. “I think that’s why we got put together, but we were just completely different. It was the worst year of my life. …We went to bed at different times, got up at different times, listened to different music, one was messy, one was neat. Basically, anything you could think of, we were total opposites.”

Violence in the dorm can be dealt with quickly. Students who mistreat someone will be kicked out ex post facto.

The stakes are higher off campus. Violent situations there may have to be dealt with in the courts since aggressive roommates may not be willing to leave. Going to court means backing your case up with proof. “When it’s just one word against somebody else’s that can be tricky,” says Dianne Urban, an attorney with student legal services at Kansas State University. “You’ll have to back your case up with evidence. If police have ever been called, then that would come in handy. I think it’s very important that people call the police if they feel threatened,” she says.

“A lot of students come in with a lot of baggage today. There’s emotional issues, family issues, psychological issues. The problems can get pretty intense.” JAMES ROBSON, Rutgers University assistant director of residence life

Roommates who are kicked out via the courts may still be held to the terms of the lease they signed, but that doesn’t mean the offending party is actually going to pay rent. This situation can leave a struggling undergrad high and dry.

“I don’t know exactly how it would work out in court, but the remaining roommate, if they can’t come up with rent, the landlord could evict them. It’s not very likely, it might be more likely that it would end up in small claims court,” says Urban.

Most students aren’t going to show up on the first day of school and find a new best friend as their college roomie, and most won’t ever end up on the wrong end of a flying fist. In order to stay in the majority, Robson suggests students consider a couple of things. “Communication is the key. Everyone comes in with assumptions about what college is like. They assume the other person is going to have the same needs that they have, but that’s not the case. You don’t have to like each other, just respect each other.”

If you stop to think about your collegiate glory days, you’re bound to remember the people and places that helped make them memorable. And although staying in touch with fellow classmates post-graduation is tough, the Internet is one way to help you stay close.

One of the online tools that will give you that connection is your school’s alumni Web site, a concept that is constantly evolving. Right now the basic things most alumni association sites offer to former students are a newsletter, contact information for national chapters and university news. This includes databases for phone numbers, and home and email addresses of the school’s graduates.

Just in the last couple of years, the Internet has drastically changed alumni Web sites, turning them from ordinary to interactive. Now most provide chat rooms and discussion forums where alumni can hook up and talk about everything from local gossip to politics.

Princeton University’s Alumni Council has given its site a cyber-overhaul with the addition of Web cams and online courses. Grads can watch and listen to university professors teach economy, English literature and foreign languages whenever they want. The cyber class is fully equipped with photos, maps and charts, and it’s free of charge to Princeton alumni.

Web cams on campus provide a post-graduation look at school reunions and parades for alumni, via a live broadcast. “It (the Web site) gives alumni the chance to see what’s happening from wherever they are. Most of our Web site… It’s really just to inform them and help them stay connected to this community,” says Adrienne Rubin, associate director for the alumni council’s class and regional affairs. She is also a 1988 Princeton graduate.

In the year 2000, the university hopes to start chat rooms and set up a content portal for students and alumni to use as their start page.

The University of Texas’ alumni organization called the Ex-Students’ Association is taking its site one step further and helping graduates find jobs. This spring the site is launching “orange pages,” a directory of names and phone numbers of companies that alumni are employed with. The site will also have a link directly to the company’s Web site.

“Mainly it promotes the businesses that alumni are involved in. Hopefully it will facilitate networking and supporting alumni,” says Jim Boon, executive director of the alumni association.

UT has an e-commerce portal called zlonghorn.com that current and former students are using as their start page. The site has university, national and international news, stock quotes, search engines and shopping links. The entire page can be customized according to what a person wants to see and read.

John Valva, the director of marketing and membership at the California Alumni Association for Berkeley says these types of portals are the hottest things out there. In an e-commerce portal, a shopping Web site (like Amazon.com) has an agreement with a university’s alumni association to give a percentage of its profits back to the association.

Since e-commerce sites have only recently drummed up interest in Web users, only a handful of universities have them. Valva says that number sits at about three dozen as of December 1999.

Berkeley’s alumni association already has an e-commerce portal and has plans to add a content portal in 2000. But unlike UT’s, which is a profit-driven combination of an e-commerce site and a customized content portal, Berkeley will keep “global mall” (e-commerce portal) separate. “I don’t want the content to be driven by sales. It should be driven by real objective content,” he says.

The parts of Berkeley’s alumni Web site that see the most traffic by graduates are a search engine of national newspapers, a page of trivia tests and a link to the university’s homepage.

A student picks up the campus paper expecting to see ads - maybe a pitch for a local bar, or tickets to a show. But not this: “We know that placing your baby for adoption is the hardest decision you will ever make, but it’s one made out of love. Please fulfill our dream of loving a baby. Legal, medical and allowable living expenses paid.”

The ads are out there, on Web sites serving students, in major dailies circulated in college towns - even in campus newspapers. “Actually we do run adoption ads,” says Kathy Welsh. She’s the advertising manager with State Press at Arizona State University. “We’re familiar with those.”

“When I went to go to the junior college, sometimes couples would put up posters right on campus. Call us, call us.” ALICIA GRIFFITH, birth mother

But students aren’t, which is why they’re drawn to them. “I would read it, definitely,” says curious Boston College psychology junior Gracie Taylor. “[But] I don’t know how comfortable I’d feel reading it.”

“Oh, gosh, I would be a little surprised,” parrots classmate Caroline Sekula, “because that’s not something you see in the paper every day.”

Couples hoping to adopt are so driven to find their new family that they are willing to put something so personal in print. But why target the college coed? “We were advised to advertise in top college markets,” concedes Robin Gorman Newman. She and her husband called adoption attorneys after other avenues brought them heartbreak, but no baby. “It’s just the consensus that the college market was a good place to look.”

Advertising in college newspapers has proven successful for some. “It’s the only technique we use,” says adoption attorney Debbie Procaccio. “It’s practically the only way to go if you want to find a baby in the states.”

But not everyone involved in the adoption process agrees. “It’s been my experience that most birth moms that I work with are not in college,” says attorney Mark Whidelock, who runs an agency in Bakersfield, California and TheStork.com. “Usually they’re between the ages of 18 and 28 and their educational level is high school at best. I wouldn’t advertise in various college newspapers.”

Alicia Griffith fit that profile. “I was 18 when I found out I was pregnant,” admits Griffith, who made adoption plans for her son. “I consulted with my pastor, my pastor then sent me to a doctor, my doctor referred me to [an adoption attorney],” she remembers.

“I went in and consulted with him and started going through the albums.” Griffith had pretty much decided on adoption already, but not on how to find a loving parent. “When I went to go to the junior college, sometimes couples would put up posters right on campus. Call us, call us.” Plus, there were yellow pages ads, public agencies and more.

In the end, she went through the adoption attorney for the simplest reason of all - it just felt right. “They gave me a lot of paperwork, which was kind of intimidating because there was so much paperwork, but it kind of gave me a good feeling because I knew the parents would have to go through a lot, too.”

Pursuing adoption is a difficult decision for all involved, followed by an even more daunting process. “It’s overwhelming. I was really kind of stunned. And you certainly come to this with no experience,” laments Gorman Newman. “It’s a very proactive search on the part of the parents. I mean it’s almost like looking for a job. The prospective parents have to play as big a role as possible.”

One of the most important tools used by couples looking to adopt is something college students know, or will know, all too well - a resume. Most will present them to the birth mother in order to give her a sense of who will be raising her child.

“It’s really like a mini-autobiography,” says Gorman Newman. “One lawyer advised us to go to Kinko’s and they want a fancy cover so it looks appealing. You have to think of what to write, how to position yourself and it’s personal, highly personal. The part that’s hard to fathom is you’re out there marketing yourselves,” she says.

It’s a tough process all around. One problem facing adoptive parents is that there just aren’t enough American babies — especially white babies — for every parent who wants to adopt. A study by the National Center for Health Statistics shows only about one in four parents who start the adoption process actually end up with a child in their lives. The numbers speak for themselves. There are just over 100,000 domestic adoptions a year — meaning American born children, and a little more than 10,000 foreign-born children are adopted. That’s a small number considering about half a million parents think about adoption each year.

“If a student becomes pregnant while on campus, confidential help is available through the office of student affairs — through the campus ministry.” FATHER WARNER, Notre Dame University

Because of that stiff competition or lack of adoptable babies, most parents feel the need to make a sales pitch. “We sent out over 600 letters and picture [sets, showing my husband and I], to pregnancy clinics and doctors from a list they give out,” says Candy Beard, as her two adopted kids vie for attention. “We had gone to all of our families and friends and anyone who would listen that we were looking to adopt.”

“I went through the albums, and they showed everything, history, work,” says Griffith, who made adoption plans for her son five years ago. She says during her pregnancy, she got lots of legal help.

In fact, about a third of all American adoptions are handled through a private law office or agency. “We got a letter through his office of different birth mothers and we had already done a resume and letter and photo album,” recalls Beard. “We gave him the letter, resume and photo album and within that week we had three different interviews. From the time we walked into that office it was 65 days until our daughter was born.”

The result is wonderful for adoptive parents, but the process comes with a price, and not just an emotional one. In most cases, prospective birth parents have to cover the cost of the adoption. “I’d say the average adoption probably runs between $10,000 and $15,000,” admits Mark Whidelock, the lawyer who helped the Beards. “My role in most of my adoptions is to help my clients meet a birth mom and then take care of the legal side so they can concentrate on the adoption process.”

“We don’t feel that money is the only issue that should drive who adopts a child,” chimes MaryAnn McCarskey. She is the associate director of Angel Guardian, a legendary foster and adoption home in New York for more than 100 years. “We have found there are many wonderful families that would never have been able to afford large fees.”

Private homes like Angel Guardian and public agencies like county offices split the remaining two-thirds of adoptions that don’t go through private attorneys. Although there are always legal issues with adoption, and each state has its own adoption laws, the homes and public offices don’t charge legal fees — by far the biggest portion of the $10,000 to $15,000 cost.

While the legalities and cost may be the biggest obstacles facing the potential parents, a pregnant college student’s number one need is getting through this ordeal in one emotional piece. Some schools have programs or policies in place to help them deal with that.

“Certainly among the many, many issues that we deal with here, students finding themselves in a situation that they are unexpectedly pregnant, that is one issue,” admits Dr. Mandy Bratton, with student counseling at Arizona State. “They find counseling and therapy. …Either on campus or off campus, we offer whatever guidance they would need.”

“If a student becomes pregnant while on campus, confidential help is available through the office of student affairs — through the campus ministry,” shares Father Warner with Notre Dame University. “In addition, we refer people to other aid here in South Bend [Indiana].”

Still, it’s never an easy decision. “If I had an unplanned pregnancy would I consider adoption? No. No,” emphasizes Taylor, from Boston College. Sekula, also from BC says, “If I didn’t drop out of school and raise it with the help of my mom, I would give it up for adoption.”

Even with a lot of help, a young woman with an unplanned pregnancy might still feel alone. “That was a little tense,” understates Griffith. Also, once the baby is with its new parents, the birth mother could also feel a sense of shame or guilt. To that, Beard says, “It’s nothing for her to be ashamed of or worried about. It’s just life. Basically both my kids are very proud of what their birth parents did.”

Gorman Newman agrees. “I have the utmost respect for any woman who gives up a child. That’s got to be at least as difficult as any [choice by an] adoptive mother. It’s a very hard decision, I’m sure.”

Steve Hassan is an intelligent and successful author. He was also a cult member for more than two years after being recruited on his college campus. In his 40s now, he uses his writing to warn others about the lure of cults.

“I had just broken up with a girl and I was feeling kind of down. I was going to Queens College when I was approached by three attractive young women at the cafeteria,” relates Hassan. “They started talking to me and were very nice but it turns out they were a front group for the Moonies.”

Regarded by many as a cult, the Moonies follow their charismatic leader reverend Sun Myung Moon, who leads his Unification Church. Moon claims that when he was 16 and living in Korea, he saw Christ who sacredly charged him to complete God’s unfinished mission on earth. The Moonies are probably best known for their mass marriages where many followers wed assigned partners whom they are meeting for the very first time.

“They lied a lot, which is a major thing readers should know. No one joins a cult — they get recruited. The major difference between legitimate organizations and cults are the legitimate ones are upfront, they don’t have to lie and deceive to get new members,” insists Hassan.

Right now, according to the American Family Foundation (AFF), a non-profit group that studies psychological manipulation and cultic groups, there are approximately 1,000 cults worldwide. And some of them are said to be setting up shop on college campuses — a prime recruiting ground, say cult experts.

In an effort to find out if a cult problem exists on college campuses today, we asked our readers. In this latest Poll, 40 percent of respondents say there are cults that are active on their college campuses. Seventeen percent of respondents claim to, at one time or another, have been a member of a cult on campus. And of that 17 percent, nearly a quarter of them say they felt pressured into joining, while 35 percent say they thought the group used mind games to control them.

Jeanette Simpson, a sophomore at Texas A&M University says she’s never really noticed any cults at her school and she thinks she knows why. “We are a conservative campus and it’s a real tight knit community. We’re all Aggies first before anything else. I think a lot of people don’t feel the need to belong to another group.”

Do you know of any cults that are active on your college campus? Have you ever been a member? If so, were you pressured into joining? Did you feel like they used mind games to control you?

Kristin Kyriakos, a sophomore at the University of Maryland, says some groups have approached her on the College Park campus. “I’ve had people come up to me and ask me if I wanted to join Christian worship groups but I didn’t think they were cults or anything,” she says. “Usually [people] will come up with bibles in their hands and ask if you have worshipped Christ lately or something like that.” Kyriakos does admit that these invitations made her a bit uncomfortable, but after a quick ‘no thank you’ she says she was usually left alone.

In 1999, Maryland became embroiled in a cult controversy as the state appointed a task force to study the effects of cult activities on public senior higher education institutions. The task force was started after the parents of a University of Maryland student complained.

Les and Nora Baker say their daughter was the victim of a cult recruiter on campus. What made things worse, according to the Bakers, was the recruiter was the girl’s resident advisor whom she had approached for advice. The dispensed wisdom came complete with an invitation to join his religion, the International Churches of Christ (ICOC), a Christian sect that believes baptism in their church is a way of becoming one of Christ’s disciples. The group has thousands of followers, an international presence - and has also been referred to as a cult.

“I think that absolutely we don’t define ourselves as a cult. Basically people label something a cult, religious or otherwise, when it’s something they don’t understand or agree with,” says Al Baird, an ICOC elder and spokesman.

The Bakers disagree. They claim that after their daughter’s recruitment into the ICOC, her GPA went from a 3.3 to a 2.0, she gave all of her $2,322 in savings to the group and she was ready to leave for Iran to serve as a missionary for her newfound religion.

The task force heard testimony from the Bakers, minority religious members, scholars, cult experts and lawyers. At the end of the investigation, it listed among its findings of fact: “The extent of group activities causing harm is statistically very small. …However, when interaction with a group causes harm to a student, that harm can be very severe.” They also said the cult problem is enormous and extremely complex on college campuses.

William Stuart, an anthropology professor at the University of Maryland says he sees the Maryland task force probe as more of a witch-hunt. “Cults are as American as apple pie,” says Stuart, who insists the word “cult” is rife with negative connotations. What some refer to as “cults,” he calls new religious groups or minority religions, which he says are more accurately examples of religious freedom than extremist religious groups.

Dean Robert Thornberg, a religious advisor at Boston University, says, “I refer to it as a destructive religious practice.” And that’s just how the school refers to the ICOC. “They’ve been banned [on campus] since 1989 and a whole bunch of other colleges use our model,” says Thornberg. In fact, according to the AFF, some 40 other colleges have followed suit, kicking the ICOC off school grounds.

“Those estimates are ridiculous,” proclaims ICOC elder, Baird. “By and large the universities that we’ve had problems at are private. You don’t have first amendment rights at private schools.”

Boston U says it kicked the group to the curb because it was using high pressure recruiting tactics with its students. Some involved going door to door in the dorms telling students to attend “mandatory” ICOC meetings. This dorm proselytizing, according to Thornberg, violated school rules since students are protected from solicitation of any kind in the dorms.

Infamous Cult Incidents: 1978: The Jonestown Massacre. Led by Jim Jones, 913 members of the People’s Temple committed mass suicide by drinking cyanide-poisoned punch in Guyana, South America. Those who refused to commit suicide were shot. 1993: Seige at Waco. Self-proclaimed messiah, David Koresh along with more than 80 Branch Davidian cult members died when their compound in Waco, Texas went up in flames following a tear gas attack by the U.S. government. This followed a 51-day standoff with ATF and FBI agents. 1997: Heaven’s Gate Suicide. Members of this cult — 39 in all, including leaders Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Trousdale Nettles, took their own lives with a mix of sedatives and vodka at the cult’s headquarters just north of San Diego. Once dead, they believed their souls would be transported to a UFO waiting behind the Hale-Bopp comet, which would take them to the “next level” of existence in outer space. 2000: Ugandan Cult Massacre. Hundreds of cult members of The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments were either burned to death, strangled or fatally stabbed inside a locked church last March. Police are investigating this as a mass murder. The three most prominent leaders, Joseph Kibwetere, Credonia Mwerinde and Dominic Kataribabo disappeared with the group’s cash and possessions. So far 924 bodies have been found.

Asked whether the church uses aggressive recruiting tactics, Baird says, “That’s true. We believe in sharing the faith. It’s not impolite or in your face, but our people believe in Jesus enough that it has changed their life and they want to share that.” He adds, “We don’t sell flowers in the airport or anything.”

The breaking of the dorm proselytizing rule was a key element in getting the church banned at BU, but there were other troubling facts concerning students’ involvement with the group.

Thornberg says, “We figure in 1989, at the high point here, 40 students dropped out entirely to follow them. Two guys were second year medical school students. They dropped out after four years of college and two years of med school to go off to be evangelists in the Far East.” He continues, “An awful lot of kids were swept up by them and the results were almost always a disaster. I know a person who’s been out for six or seven years now and they’re just feeling a sense of freedom.”

Margaret Singer, a clinical psychologist and an expert on cults and coercion, says one characteristic of cults is the groups often rob a member of their freedom in many different ways. “A cult is started by a self proclaimed person. He or she has special secret knowledge that they will share with followers if they drop everything and come with them.”

To that Baird says that any group that is different will always be the target of accusations. “It started with Jesus. He was called a lot worse than a cult leader. The church in the first century was called a cult. And I don’t think that Jesus was a cult leader and I don’t think that the first century church was a cult.”

Singer points out the difference in today’s so-called cults. “There is a modern day double set of ethics. It’s okay to lie and deceive outsiders, but total honesty is demanded amongst members. There are totalistic rules for everything and the rule is totalitarian.” Singer says this means today’s cults expect your undivided attention and time.

“When one joins, you join up with the notion of working closely with two or three others,” says Stuart, who believes Singer’s point of view is distorted. “It’s not just a ‘come on Sunday and forget the rest of the week’ proposition. They expect you to be very involved and they’re very expectful of time and resources,” he says.

Money is another demand Singer says a cult may make of a student. She says most cult leaders are driven by greed and use their group as a means to a follower’s cash, assets and belongings. To do this, she says, most cults will use mind control.

Gregory Smith is ten years old. He’s also a freshman - in college. While most students slog away for years in search of that elusive diploma, Smith could have his masters in hand before he can even drive a car. The blonde-haired, blue eyed boy is obviously a genius.

“I’ve always had a dream to go to college since I was about four years old. I remember seeing flyers about MIT and aerospace engineering. I dreamed about all those areas that I could explore,” he says.

Smith attends Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, a liberal arts institution with about 1,100 students. He doesn’t think that his tender age really makes a difference with the other 1,099 studious scholars. He says, “I believe college is not a place dependent upon age. It is a place where everyone can go to learn. Age is not an issue in college.”

Some students say age is an issue at college. Will Pluim, a third year physics student at Randolph Macon, says, “I think he’s a good kid and I’m glad he has the opportunity to [go to college].”

Not all students agree with Pluim though. He says there are those on campus who don’t like the thought of having a ten-year-old participate in their classes.

“There’s sort of a split. About half the people he comes into contact with accept him and like him. The other half think he shouldn’t be [in college] for whatever reasons,” says Pluim. “One of the most common reasons [students] have for not wanting him in college is the fear that [Smith] is stunting his growth as a kid.”

Smith, though, is not your average kid. In fact, his intelligence is off the charts. IQ tests are unable to measure it. When most babies are two and a half months old, parents are struggling to interpret different cries and screams — Smith was talking to his parents. He could read, perform addition and correct grammar by the time he was 18 months old.

Pluim thinks there may even be some advantages to being a ten-year-old freshman. “He has a lot of questions and he’s not afraid to ask. One advantage of being ten and not being what a normal college age is, is that college-age students are more inhibited about what questions they ask, and they worry about what people think of them.”

The signs of a world class mind peeked through very early in Smith’s life and though some people might think that he was pushed along by overbearing parents, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Janet Smith, Gregory’s mother says, “My husband and I had great experiences throughout school, in high school, in junior high and in college. We met when we were in college, my husband played football. It was basically the stereotypical ideal school experience.”

Janet says it was tough when she and her husband realized Gregory was not going to have that experience. His incredible gifts meant he was going to have a different life, and much of it due to Gregory’s own wishes. “When he was only seven we stood back and let go. It’s emotionally grueling. He’s my baby, I mean that’s my child,” Janet says.

When they let go of Gregory he flourished academically, he started high school when he was eight and walked out with a diploma two years later. And even after graduation, it was still full steam ahead for the blonde whiz kid.

“We keep telling him, ‘you’re eight years ahead in school.’ He has time to slow down. But he’s adamant about doing it now, about capturing this moment. We just try to be supportive, loving and nurturing and not controlling,” explains Janet.

Gregory may be ambitious but he’s also a kid. He does what any other kid would do when it comes to games and sports, although he does go about these endeavors in his own way.

When he plays basketball he doesn’t play H-O-R-S-E, he plays G-R-E-G-A-R-I-O-U-S. And it’s just not enough to shoot around; Gregory constantly keeps track of his shooting percentages from all areas on the court. “Statistical analysis is how he makes it fun. I think he needs to be doing three or four things at any one time to make it interesting to him,” explains his mother.

But Gregory doesn’t just play basketball — after all he’s got an academic career to worry about. He says, “Well I want to get three Ph.D.’s. One in biomedical research, one in aerospace design and one in political science. With the Ph.D. in aerospace design I want to design space station so we can colonize other planets and mine asteroids. With the Ph.D. in biomedical research I want to find the cures for diseases like cystic fibrosis, AIDS and cancer. I want to learn about the regeneration of cells and learn to reverse the aging process.”

Gregory has another goal on that grand list, “I would like to become President of the United States.” He sees it as an avenue to achieving his true passion — world peace. In fact, he has set up his own organization called IEM (Inspiration, Education and Motivation) for non-violence. With this organization he hopes to educate everyone, but specifically children, so they can avoid the cycle of violence that has captured virtually all-previous generations. He says, “I believe it is through education that we will succeed in peace because education leads to understanding and understanding leads to alternative solutions.”

Smith is not completely alone in his brilliance, though his mental prowess is astonishing, other super-intelligent kids are springing up on campuses across the country. Some schools are even throwing the doors wide open for these ultra-bright teenyboppers by setting up special programs to attract them.

At Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, there are 67 geniuses from around the country that take part in the school’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. The program is only for gifted females, as the university is all-women.

Giannina Garces is a member of the PEG program. The 15-year-old is in her second year at Mary Baldwin College studying biochemistry.

Most girls her age would still be a year away from the junior prom, but Garces says she doesn’t regret her decision to skip the entire high school experience. “I think I would have had an equally good experience in high school. But I would not have had the same opportunities for a serious academic career. I wouldn’t have been able to apply for medical school when I was 18.”

Garces is intent on becoming an oncologist then traveling to Spain where she wants to set up a clinic.

Celeste Rhodes, the executive director of PEG at Mary Baldwin, says the 15-year-old program does more than just open up an academic world to participants. “Many students find a true peer group in the program. For some it’s the first time they’ve come across anyone who is like them. It’s a very meaningful experience,” she remarks.

According to Rhodes and Garces other students at the school are quite receptive to PEG members.

“One great thing about being on a college campus is people here are extremely open-minded,” says Garces. “I think it’s a lot less plausible that students would attach a stigma to someone just because they were in the PEG program.”

Rhodes says that sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between PEG students and the general student body. Although Smith stands out physically as a ten-year-old boy at Randolph Macon, it’s not unusual for a 14-year-old girl at Mary Baldwin to pass for 18.

Though PEG students and Gregory Smith both go with the flow when it comes to the college experience, for all of them there are some concessions that need to be made. Campus security becomes a big concern when you’re dealing with students between the ages of ten and 15. Janet Smith says, “Security was a primary issue when we were looking at schools.”

PEG students are watched a little more closely at their school than the rest of the student population due to their age. Garces explains, “We have much tighter restrictions than the traditional students. We have a curfew of midnight on weekdays and one [a.m.] on weekends. You have to be in the building by 11 during the week and 12 on the weekends. Socially there are more restrictions. There’s more of an impediment to having males in the dorm. We’re not allowed to have them in our rooms — only in the common area.”

When it comes to college it’s apparent that geniuses have their own unique experience. It seems that with their tremendous gifts they might be enjoying the whole education ride a lot more than the average everyday collegian.

Smith certainly appreciates the value of learning and has attached his own peace movement to it. “I love reading Plato and Aristotle,” says the ten-year-old. “I’m very interested in philosophy and the greatness of scholastics. Education is one thing that is very important in my movement.”

A college career means big opportunities for students, but it also means big responsibilities. Just applying to a major college means a whole year of hard work and worries. Once students get past researching schools, gathering information and filling out applications, they have to contend with how to pay for it all.

“Oh yeah, plenty. It was very stressful. You get paranoid at times,” admits Larry Kociolek, a biology sophomore at Illinois Wesleyan University. “You’ve got to worry about a lot of factors, not only grades and test scores but also financial aid.”

Freshman Jamie Tindall says she felt that stress, too - and so did most of her friends. “Oh yeah, but that happens anywhere really. You want to get in,” says the Texas Christian University student. “This was my first choice — TCU. Obviously you are nervous waiting for the letter. And you always want to get a good SAT and ACT [score], so there is some pressure.”

“This student was changing transcripts for a fee. I have no idea what the kid was charging but for whatever [fee] he said, ‘I’ll raise your ACT score.’” JIM RUOTI, dean of admissions, Illinois Wesleyan University

Competition is tough, says Jim Ruoti, the dean of admissions at Illinois Wesleyan College. “There are so many more students trying to get into school now.” All that competition can make a borderline student desperate to get in - maybe desperate enough to bend some rules, or even lie.

New U.S. Department of Education rules set to take effect this summer could force some students to push that envelope. “If a student has a drug conviction, supposedly they can be disqualified for the Pell, work study and supplemental work study education grants,” says Ruoti.

Here’s how it will work: A student with one drug conviction loses federal aid for one year. A second conviction makes it two years, and a third strike means they’re out - they will never be able to get federal financial aid.

The question is - is there a way around those rules? Ruoti replies, “We ask students if they’ve ever been convicted of anything more than a traffic violation, but again if a student checks no, how are you gonna know? And with the right to privacy a high school counselor won’t tell you.”

Felony convictions aside, there are plenty of little white lies on those applications, too. “Sometimes a student is applying as a freshman who graduated let’s say a year ago or a year and a half ago,” says Ruoti. “You have on your application, ‘have you attended another university?’ and they put no. Then you find out they went to another school and flunked out.”

Kociolek knows that one. “Transfer students, if they haven’t done as well at their previous school they conveniently forgot to include the transcripts of classes they didn’t do too well in.” Some of those students had great high school transcripts so they try to fall back on that. But that doesn’t always work, especially when there’s foul play involved.

“At one high school in suburban Chicago a student was working out of the registrar’s office,” recalls Ruoti. “This student was changing transcripts for a fee. I have no idea what the kid was charging, but for whatever [fee] he said, ‘I’ll raise your ACT score.’ The kid was changing the composite scores, but not the four sub-scores, so they didn’t add up to 28. The high school had to go through every transcript and check. The interesting part of it was — had the kid thought of it to change the sub-scores — he might have been able to go on for a long time.”

In addition to transcripts being changed, Ruoti says, “I [also] remember seeing test scores that had been changed.” Kociolek has seen something similar among athletes.

“We ask students if they’ve ever been convicted of anything more than a traffic violation, but again if a student checks no, how are you gonna know?” JIM RUOTI, dean of admissions, Illinois Wesleyan University

“I especially knew excellent athletes in high school that wanted to get into any college and didn’t have the scores to get into even the lesser selective schools, and they had somebody take the ACT for them,” Kociolek remembers. “I know people who boosted their stats in sports and stuff, maybe increased their batting average by a few points. Coaches have been involved in that too, not just students.”

There are other ways students can bend the rules without breaking them, says Ruoti. One student took the ACT twice, and the first college she applied to let her combine her best verbal and math scores. On her own, she started putting that hybrid score on other applications - something most schools won’t allow. She eventually got caught, but insisted she didn’t know it was wrong.

Some students with physical or learning disabilities can take admissions tests without the tension of time - there’s no clock or time limit. “You’d be surprised how many students become a junior and get a disability,” says Ruoti. “And that’s a shame. There are people who know they can go to a doctor and say they have a visual or a dyslexic problem. As long as they have that slip from a physician, ACT has no option. I had one counselor tell me ‘I can name the doctor, and for $75 you can have that option.’”

It can also go the other way. Some parents have been known to pay a private psychologist to get their child into a gifted program at the beginning of high school, which in turn drives up their grade point average over the next four years.

Ruoti has been at this for 35 years and has pretty much seen it all. “I think there are probably more things now than there were then, just because of the pressure. …Students are under so much more pressure to get into school and get into the right school.”

Tindall from Texas Christian says the pressure on students won’t end once they’re registered and snuggled in their dorm room bed. “Once you get in, that kind of continues. It’s not exactly over when you get in — it goes on.”

When I got turned down for a job years ago, I asked the prospective boss why, and he said I needed more class (not the kind you get from society). He suggested that I take on some additional, alternative studies. This sent me and my bachelor’s degree back to school — a community college — for some new skills that helped me land my next job.

Supplemental education is just one of many roles community colleges play in the grand scheme of things — a supplement for many four-year graduates looking to gain additional knowledge and skills. This is also what makes them different from bigger state schools and most universities. But now an added amenity on campus could have these neighborhood colleges recruiting — and competing — with the big boys.

That secret weapon is housing. More and more community colleges are building dormitories on campus. Some are doing it as a recruiting tool, to lure a better grade of students while others are adding beds simply to serve their community and students better.

In some schools, dorms are something that has been needed for years, but the money simply hasn’t been there until now. That’s the dynamic at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming. There isn’t another college within 100 miles so some students drive 90 minutes each way to attend class. That, plus enrollment is up 15 percent since 1996. Now, with more than 1,500 students, Central Wyoming has 135 on-campus beds. School leaders say the dorm is just one new way to better serve students.

It’s the same story at Fon du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet, Minnesota. “It’s a small community college, it’s a tribal and state college, and some of the purposes were to raise the Native American enrollment, and to give options to residents across the state. It’s a union of cultures,” says Bruce Carlson, the Housing Director at Fon du Lac.

“Our main priority is just to give an opportunity to kids to get the education they wouldn’t have if the dorms weren’t here.” That idea appears to be working. “Fall semester was our first semester. Right now it’s above 50%, and we expect that to go up.”

Dixie Dorman, a 24-year-old sophomore studying Native American issues, is a resident administrator in the dorm who says on-campus housing helps students achieve better marks on their report cards. “I would say it’s had a factor in some grades. I mean, you’re right here and have all the things that you need, and so long as you’re willing, there are people to help you. It’s better than being 19 and moving out on your own, and there’s support groups for them.” Plus, Dorman says, living on campus saves her money over driving to school every day.

Carlson, Fon du Lac’s Housing Director, is proud of the school’s new dorms and says it’s serving as an example for other community colleges looking to add beds to their campuses.

“It’s a state of the art heating system, security system. I think they put about $1,800 in security in this building. We’ve had dorm directors come from other schools to look at this facility. We have 100 beds now, but when it’s done, it’ll have about 250 beds. It’s a 10 year project.”

That’s the dream for housing officials at Central Wyoming. They’d like to add another 72 bed dorm and charge residents about $2,000 a year in rent, but they need to dip into local neighbors’ pockets to pay for it. Taxpayers already shot down a three-and-a-half million-dollar bond issue to fund the project last spring. That raises two questions: Who pays for community college housing? And who profits from it?

Collin County Community College has a Spring Creek Campus in Plano, Texas, which is home to a brand new dorm that comes with a pool, satellite TV - even personal computer networking lines to hook up with campus computers. And although school officials didn’t have to pay a dime for it, they still own it.

Century Campus Housing Management, a Houston company that bought the land from the school, built the 296-bed dorm and now runs it. “The development company built it, we manage it, but it’s owned by Collin County Community College District Foundation,” says Jim Short, president of Century Campus.

“All we do is manage on-campus housing, mostly built by the development company. Four of the facilities that we manage were built by universities.” In each case, the colleges share in the profits. The Collin County Foundation’s cut could reach a quarter-of-a-million dollars in the 1999-2000 school year.

It’s just another manic school day, eight o’clock in the morning and time to endure another round of academic drudgery. Students know the drill. First it’s off to the all-too-familiar golf course to play a quick nine holes, then it’s back to campus for a training session with that damn baboon, then of course it’s time to set fire to something - anything, as long as it burns. And then to top off the day, well, it’s the depths of scholastic suffering — underwater archaeology.

This may not be a typical day in the life of most students, but for some it is.

Exotic Animal Training 101
At Moorpark Community College in Moorpark, California students are talking about lions and tigers and bears - at least when it comes to the school’s exotic animal training and management program.

The major actually offers more than just lions and tigers and bears, there’s also Asian elephants, alligators, baboons, marmosets and ostriches. Then there is the African serval, which Beverly Critcher, a graduate of the program and now an instructor, describes as “a cat that has spots and stripes, it’s very sleek and jumps about seven feet in the air to eat birds right out of the sky. It’s from the African savannah.”

“We don’t take the tiger out anymore, but we do have two mountain lion cubs that we walk.” BEVERLY CRITCHER, Moorpark Community College exotic animal management instructor

That African serval won’t be lonely at Moorpark despite the presences of a lone wolf here and there; the school has its very own animal house with more than 150 critters in all. And to some degree or another students get to work with each. Critcher says, “We don’t take the tiger out anymore, but we do have two mountain lion cubs that we walk.”

Critcher goes on to say that the course of study is a demanding one. Students spend their entire day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. either working side-by-side with singing birds and babbling baboons, or learning about the creatures in the classroom.

Circus 101
At Florida State University, parents need not worry about their students running off to join the circus because there’s already a big-top bonanza right on campus. The Flying High Circus offers students the chance to do gymnastics, trapeze and high wire acts, as well as juggling - all netting students school credit.

Margie Peters, the associate director of the Flying High Circus, says, “We have our own big top tent, we spread sawdust, paint stages and sew our own costumes. It’s a real circus, we just don’t have any live animals.” Peters says students who get involved in the Florida State program, which is the only one like it in the collegiate world, seem to love it. “We’re going into our 53rd year. We haven’t lost a game yet, we’re still number one,” she jokes.

“[Students] have to have at least an eight handicap before they start the courses. Basically one of the pre-requisites is to be a good golfer.” ELAIINE WHITE, Mississippi State golf management school

Golf Management 101
If the thrill of dealing with wild animals and balancing atop the high wire is too much for some students, they may want to consider something a bit less stressful - like golf.

At Mississippi State University, aspiring swingers can major in professional golf management, a program that will have them dabbling in plant biology, food course management and golf management.

But with just 190 students making the cut to be a part of the program, it’s obvious this major is not for everyone. Duffers with wicked slices and awesome hooks might have a problem getting admitted to the program, says Elaine White, who works in the golf management school. “[Students] have to have at least an eight handicap before they start the courses. Basically one of the pre-requisites is to be a good golfer,” she says.

Fire 101
Those matriculating at the University of Maryland won’t be torching the links any time soon but they do get fired up about other academic disciplines - like fire protection engineering. It’s definitely a hot major, blazing a trail of its own as the only accredited program in the country.

“We get a lot of seniors who say, ‘I wish I did this my freshman year.’” MARGIE PETERS, associate director of the Flying High Circus at Florida State University

“We burn fabrics, burn different kinds of stuff. We basically burn everything and then we chart the results and look at what the fire response is,” says inferno-setting senior Nathan Vander Roest.

Vander Roest does admit some fellow students look at the major as a Beavis and Butthead paradise, but that’s not the case at all. The major is under the larger umbrella of engineering, a field that quickly weeds out the Beavis or Butthead types.

Underwater Archaeology 101
Students who can’t take the heat of fire protection engineering may want to cool off with some underwater archaeology. Scuba diving students at Brown University, Texas A & M and Florida State all have the opportunity to dive right into the discipline. Each school offers programs where students not only learn in the classroom, but also get up close and personal with hands on lessons down in the depths of the deep blue sea.

Whether majors leave you soaking wet or burning for knowledge, the wild and wacky side of academia is out there - you just have to look for it. Though not the first item in the schedule of courses, these classes can help break up a student’s tough coursework - and leave them with a lasting impression. Peters says, “We get a lot of seniors who say, ‘I wish I did this my freshman year.’”