On August 13, a momentous event occurred: I celebrated my 21st birthday.

After a rambunctious, albeit somewhat hazy, night I was asked one question by more than one person: How does it feel to finally be an adult?

How does it feel to be an adult? Wait - didn't I hear that same question right after my 18th birthday, mere days before I moved into my first college dorm room?

At that time I could vote, I could smoke and I didn't have a curfew anymore - I was living the grownup life. I was legally considered a grownup. If I wanted to, I could serve in the armed services.

But does the repetition of this question now that I can drink mean I've been fooling myself about my maturity level this whole time?

This leads me to pose a question: At what age, if ever, do college students grow up? It's a complex idea.

I would venture a guess that at Penn State, every single day is someone's 21st birthday.

Whether the birthday boy/girl takes advantage of a midnight power hour (or two) or taps the keg early the next morning, at some point, the memories become blurry, speech starts to slur and at worst, the alcohol starts to come out in a very un-adult-like fashion.

A philosophic defender of the typical 21st birthday might argue that a power hour has become a cultural ritual of sorts.

It transitions a child unaware of their tolerance level into an adult who knows better than to take six tequila shots in an hour again.

Others may say it's dumb.

But if turning 21 years old means becoming an adult capable of making alcohol-based decisions, why wouldn't some State College bars allow me to consume hard liquor within 26 hours of my birthday?

Apparently at Café 210 West, I'm not an adult until I'm 21 years, 1 day and 2 hours old.

Is that when I grew up?

I'm not saying I disagree with this rule - in fact, having previously worked at Café 210, I have seen enough vomiting happen in the bar to completely understand why it was implemented, not to mention the extreme danger of taking 21 shots for a 21st birthday.

But it provides a perfect example of why adulthood cannot be thrust upon a person at any given age. So here's what it comes down to: Is the adult the 18 year old wasted at Canyon Pizza, or the 21 year old wasted at the bar who will go to Canyon Pizza afterward?

At 21 years and 15 days old, I found myself at a friend's house, drinking a beer (an adult decision) and watching "GUTS." As in the "Do you have it?" Agro-Crag kind of "GUTS" that I watched on Nickelodeon in 1992.

I'll be the first to admit that this wasn't a very adult way to spend my evening, but it sure was fun. And as long as I'm acting like an adult when making the grades and getting the work done, 21 doesn't equal adulthood 24/7.