first of all i dont think giving these kids a second chance is sweeping the problem under the rug. second of all i dont believe having a stiff policy prevents kids from drinking. i really dont believe those derby kids said, "we'll only get suspended a week if we get caught so what the hell" i think they thought they simply werent going to be caught. as is true with every kid who drinks and parties. i know of a lot of kids who partied hard all through highschool and never got caught so theres some fairly good reason for that thinking. the only thing that makes a kid really believe they will get caught is actually getting caught. and if that getting caught means they are done, they have no incentive to change there actions. i dont believe policies keep kids from drinking. i think the vast majority of the kids who do not drink at all do so because of a personal moral decision, not some policy. also people are saying these kids got off lightly. and no, the school didnt hammer them as hard as it probably could have. but Nathan Furches did not get off lightly. hes been publicly called out and embarrassed, and while thats the price of being a stud sometimes, its still not right. most of our mistakes dont have that consequence. so whether or not he got off lightly is a matter of how you look at it. i personally believe through this ordeal this is the last time we will have an incident like this involving Nathan. and if the penalty changes behavior then whats wrong with it?