During a conversation with a colleague the other day, the issue of adulthood was raised. When does the moment of adulthood arrive?

Is it a magic moment that bursts upon its recipient with fanfare and wonder? Does it come at a certain point in the lifeline or is it more a matter of the right thing at the right time?

The United States has thousands of soldiers in Iraq and other horrible places around the world who are functioning as adults at the highest level. They are trying their best to survive with all the skills they have. They are critically thinking and performing their tasks, as one would expect any adult to do.

It is easy to look across the countryside and see individuals doing those things that we would consider the work of adults. They are abound on campus in the form of any number of freshmen through seniors, graduate students, faculty and staff members. But as we look at these adults, there creeps into their presence the shadow of youth, the actions of children and the seemingly pejorative term "kids."

When you become an "adult" you have attained the pinnacle of life, that of becoming one who is no longer beholding to others and one who is able to direct one's own existence and cease being the controlled and become the controller.

The discussion of adulthood finds itself back on campus with 60,000 plus "adults" who may or may not be able to hold consistently to the behavior commonly attributed to clear thinking individuals.

The earlier conversation with my colleague focused on some recent unfortunate happenings at one of the fraternities on campus. There is no need to dredge up the particular fraternity or the pictures and text of articles written concerning the condition of the fraternity house or the positive and negative responses to the articles.

The real focus should be the issue of adult behavior and responsibility and something that did not seem to appear in any of the opinions made by the advisers.

It is fairly easy to say not everyone who has attained a legal age of being considered an adult has the capability of fulfilling that responsibility.

It is also easy to see numerous examples of "adults" who act like children and cannot be trusted in any situation requiring levelheaded responses.

Now for the real focus.

While we may be classed as adults we continually need the counsel of other individuals who have experienced more than we have, learned more than we have, and lived more than we have.

These advisers provide us with the necessary tools to make logical decisions and function as that which our chronological age dictates.

So where are the advisers to those fraternities that have graced the front pages of The State News with negative images?

Where are the adult counselors, who by the rules of the university, are supposed to be visibly present in the operations of the registered organizations at MSU?

One would think all the student groups on and off campus that function at an adult level would question where the advisers were when houses were being destroyed, bills were not being paid, and homes were being deemed uninhabitable.

The great number of organizations at MSU that do fantastic things, train their members to be positive role models for fellow students, and present a picture of what the university really is to the neighboring communities should be upset with the behavior of the few that tarnish the image of the many.

But there also should be a consideration of those "adults" who have claimed to be guides to others, but have failed or chosen to simply ignore their responsibilities.

Because we have become completely hung up on the chronological age of individuals, we seem to forget that all of us - no matter how young or old - are in need of guidance during our waking moments of life. We might need it more in our early years, but there is never a time that we do not need some form of guidance.

Guidance is not meant to be a controlling force, it is simply something that exists to help us see new perspectives and understand those things of which we may not have a complete grasp.

So when there is conversation on campus where some people continually cry students are adults and should be left to their own devices to fail or succeed at will, without the help of anyone, I think we need to counter that kind of comment with a different perspective.

We need to espouse the idea we all need help in one form or another in our lives. It might come in the form of an extended hand, an answer to a problem, or a simple smile. It does not denote subservience or lack of adulthood. It speaks to the issue of us being human and able to function above the animals.

Perhaps in the future, those who claim to advise others on campus will take up their responsibilities, and we will no longer be subjected to stories that do nothing to enhance the reputation of MSU.

Craig Gunn is a communications director in the Department of Engineering. He can be reached at gunn@egr.msu.edu.