You can't go home again

As part of alumnae weekend, I returned to my home, ATO, on Tufts campus. When I was a resident, I thought the ATO house might just fall down. It was in bad shape. Twenty years later, it's even worse. Lately, the swimmers and the sailors have taken over and the house is a steaming den of wet clothes, stale beer, and fast food. Tufts only fra-rority carries on the rich tradition of co-ed living and co-ed bathing.

A fine young student invited me to hang around as long as I wanted. But I've seen Will Farrell's movie Old School and thought nothing could could come of it. My college roommate Pete, who always knew a good deal when he saw one, inquired if there was still plenty of free parking. There is, and I fondly recall Pete taking his Saab apart in the parking lot and fixing it up as time permitted.

On occasion, the University attempts to hoodwink the students into selling ATO and they always say no. Once it's gone it's gone forever.