[FuzzieAlum]

Well-said, Showstopper.

I guess I believe one of the most important functions of college is for a young person to begin making their own decisions. It's a transition period between being taken care of at home and being 100% on your own. For that reason, I don't think parents should be making decisions for their children at that age. Once you're 18, your parents should not be picking your dinner or your religion ... or even your school (although I can understand certain strong suggestions based on finance or geography).

As a parent, one no doubt wants your kids to do certain things - be Episcopalian or Baptist, be vegetarian or like Southern cooking, attend Mom's school or go Ivy League, but you can't force them, except by withholding money. And even then the kid can say, "Sorry, I'll choose to be broke and work my way through school, then." The parent should have instilled Episcopalian values or a love of vegetarianism way before then - or in this case an interest in a D9 organization.

At that age, if your kid is making a mistake, you tell them you think it's a mistake, but then you sit back and let them make it. (Excluding participation in seriously illegal acts like drug dealing!) Otherwise, how will your child ever learn to be a fully independent human being?