USMSC - First Impressions

Like Brian, Sunday was my first experience attending a USMSC meeting. I'd had the opportunity to hear a lot of the news from my fellow UMBC students who were involved in the council last year, so it was exciting to be a part of it myself. It's refreshing to be a part of a group of students from across the state who care about continuing to improve our higher education system.

There are a number of important issues that we are going to be making decisions about in the next few months. Most of the technical details have already been posted here by Josh, so I'd like to talk a bit about the directions I think the council should go.

The issue of slot machines in Maryland has been controversial for years. This November, we'll be voting on a constitutional amendment to allow their placement in several specific locations across the state. Some of the money earned from the slots will be diverted to support higher education. While passing this agenda item via constitutional amendment seems a little extreme, I am in favor of the idea. Currently Maryland residents who wish to gamble this way are forced to travel to other nearby states to do so, bringing their dollars with them. I'd like to see that money be kept in-state, especially when we can use the income to support things like higher education. We might even be able to attract residents from other states to spend their money here, especially at races like Preakness. The bottom line for me is that if people want to gamble, they will - if not here, then with our neighbor states. Instead of funneling that money to them, let's keep it here and use it for worthy causes.

The issue of lowering the drinking age has gotten a bit misinterpreted. What Brit Kirwan and others are supporting is honest, scientific discussion on drinking age limitations and their effectiveness at preventing alcohol-related problems in young adults. We all have our personal opinions on which way the law should go, but the truth is that the only way to settle the discussion is with research. Let's bring some science to this argument in the hope of moving forward in a knowledgeable manner.

It's going to be an exciting year - I'm looking forward to it!