If you’re younger than 21 in South Carolina, you cannot buy alcohol. But what about having it in your possession or drinking it?

A court ruling today suggests state law contains nothing that would make it illegal for many young people to own or use alcoholic beverages.

“This magistrate in Richland County has concluded that the statute that criminalizes possession and consumption is unconstitutional,” says attorney Joe McCulloch.

In a ruling issued Monday morning, Richland Co. Magistrate Mel Maurer sided with McCulloch, acting on behalf of a 20-year-old client ticketed March 9th for possession.

So what does that actually mean?

US News & World Report Ranks The Best Colleges

U.S. News has collected data from more than 1,400 colleges to bring you this year’s rankings. But remember, just because these are the best schools for academics doesn’t mean they’ll give you the best all-around college experience. Plus, you’ll end up paying for it for the rest of your life. [US News & World Report]

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia College Tour

Offering enthusiastic viewers a new way to demonstrate their love for the show, FX will be touring the country, stopping in ten locations where fans can compete to win a whole host of It’s Always Sunny themed prizes: Paddy’s Pub T-shirts, DVDs of the series and of course the aforementioned bronzed baby trophy.

So, brush up on your Sunny trivia, kids, ’cause the gang could be coming to a college near you… [Zap 2]

The World’s Richest Dropouts

Michael Dell enrolled as a biology major at University of Texas but spent more time fiddling with stacks of computer parts in his dorm room than hitting up the library. Instead of studying, he started selling new computers through advertisements in local papers.

It was a lucrative distraction. By the end of his freshman year, Dell was selling about $80,000 a month in computers. With the money rolling in, Dell decided not to return to school. [Forbes]

2 Withdraw From Petition to Rethink Drinking Age

Two college presidents, both in Georgia, have withdrawn their names from a petition to reconsider the legal drinking age after it drew blistering criticism this week from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, safety experts, transportation officials and politicians.

But 15 more from across the country have signed on, the organizers said Thursday. All told, 123 presidents from colleges including Dartmouth, Duke, Ohio State and Tufts are supporting the petition. [NY Times]

College students, most of whom are over the age of 18, can vote, enlist in the military and yet are not considered mature enough to sit down at their local bar and have a beer.

All that may change very soon as, “College presidents from about 100 of the nation’s best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus,” says the Associated Press.

The Amethyst Initiative, started by former president of Middlebury University John McCardell, “is made up of chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges across the United States.  These higher education leaders have signed their names to a public statement that the 21 year-old drinking age is not working, and, specifically, that it has created a culture of dangerous binge drinking on their campuses.” [See COED's article Vermont To Reconsider Drinking Age from 3/25/08]. (more…)