As early as summer session 2008, incoming Penn State students could have the opportunity to enrich themselves with knowledge about the drinking mentality of a college town, something that Penn State assumes students know nothing about.

Thousands of teenagers exit their parents' minivans every July and step into a society filled with beer bongs, ice luges and case races.

Some might have spent a high school night inebriated in their basement, but such is child's play compared to an ArtsFest night.

For better or worse, binge drinking is a ritual for many Penn State students and a health problem for most of them.

Cue: AlcoholEdu.

Though Penn State has been hush-hush on many details of the program, the idea is that an online course would be required on all university entrants.

One detail that has surfaced, however, is that students would be required to keep a journal on their experiences and views about alcohol.

Many students do keep track of their experiences -- the ones they remember, anyway. It's called a Facebook wall post or Sunday brunch in the dining commons. Making students submit these "Drunk Diaries" is setting the university up for some unique responses. That's assuming it even gets them.

How many students are going to take this seriously? Even then, the handful of students who will actively participate in this course are probably the same ones who need to learn very little, if anything, about drinking safely.

One student suggested that the program be mandatory for underage students who are caught drinking.

By itself, it sounds like a reasonable suggestion. But it sounds an awful lot like Penn State's current system.

Students caught drinking in the dorms can be subject to a course (in person) and extra assignments to complete outside the class.

It's not terrifying, but it reminds students of all the real trouble they could face if it happens again.

The only differences between this and AlcoholEdu is that one is already in place and the other punishes all students for the behavior of some.

It seems the only thing that would truly discourage students from binge drinking would be an increase in efforts by police.

But then, of course, students will find a way to get past that as well. There's nothing wrong with trying to combat binge drinking at one of the nation's top party schools, but AlcoholEdu is just not the right way.

Penn State -- keep searching.

Diaries under the influence just won't mean a thing.