The Penn State Alumni Association's decision to roust any students who dare befoul the Hintz Alumni Center reminds me of my mother forbidding anyone to as much as look crosswise at her living-room furniture. I was under the mistaken impression that the university already had a museum -- the Palmer Museum of Art.

It occurs to me, a dues-paying, card-carrying member of the alumni association -- for now -- that I really don't need a living room in State College. That's what the Phyrst is for. So if anyone asks, you are in the Hintz Center as my invited guest. Just wipe your feet before you put them on the coffee table.