Reflecting on 1983 and my freshman year in college has caused me to rethink the many positives of being a student in the ’80s and not because of the sports although that did impact my collegiate life and not the way some might expect.

One need not travel out of state or community to take advantage of being a student. One has to open up to the possibilities even as a commuter. I remember one famous local auditor that I had class with for three years. At the time Joe seemed ancient but only because he cultivated that persona. He was far more interesting to the young coeds. He used his student status to take advantage of many student discounts in the community. I assumed that he was old enough to use the senior discount, but I’m not sure he would go that route.

I’ve already mentioned that I got my first experience of postseason baseball by traveling to (nearby) Baltimore. The Orioles and Phillies never offered student discounts, but my being in Philadelphia as a student afforded me the opportunity of attending.

Being on the East Coast, I was able to travel (easily and affordably) to NYC, Baltimore and D.C where I took advantage of student discounts at museums, zoos, aquariums and the like. On monthly forays into Center City I caught the opera and ballet because it was almost free.

Several friends and family members attended schools in the Big Ten and they went on many road trips with the football teams-either school sanctioned or not. In some cases they were able to explore a little and others it was just a trip to a different tailgating event and stadium. I have a friend from high school who attended a university in the Mid-Atlantic region, and he made his way through the ACC in order to follow college hoops. I know of several people that traveled with their school to college football bowl games-that experience is usually more memorable than the subsequent trips made as adults/alums.

One roommate of mine, a native Manhattanite, followed the basketball team with his girlfriend to Lexington, Kentucky through Dayton and Birmingham. They didn’t hit any of the cultural hotspots, but I do recall they took city tours.

Looking back, my major regret in college was not wearing shorts for the entirety of my tenure in Philadelphia. I would recommend that every student take full advantage of that student status for as long as possible. I’m sure my cousin Richard hasn’t forgotten that on one trip, I wasn’t the only one taking advantage of the student discount.