Christina Domenico | Because he got high

It was a week of endings - Izzy and Zoe's, Ruckus and Juicy Campus all said their quiet goodbyes, slipping off the college scene without too much commotion. That can't be said for the end of Michael Phelps' era as the All-American poster boy. The Olympic champ's national image took a big hit (ha! Get it?) after a British newspaper published a photo of him smoking marijuana from a bong at the University of South Carolina.

Kellogg's pulled his sponsorship deal. USA Swimming banned him from competition for three months. No, no, no, screamed the public, this is not how the Olympics' best athlete should behave in the offseason. But he does, and no one can force him into an archetype he's never fit. He's a swimmer, not a saint.

To anyone with even a casual knowledge of today's young-adult culture, the photo of Phelps probably didn't cause too much surprise. After all, he's 23 years old, and if his past behavior is any indicator, what happens at the Olympics, stays at the Olympics - he directs his energy elsewhere. Months after the 2004 Athens games, the then-19-year-old Phelps pleaded guilty to a DUI charge, and he's been frequenting the Las Vegas party and poker scene since winning his eight gold medals last August in Beijing. Not exactly an icon of charity and American goodwill. In spite of all this, Phelps' national character has been cast as the pinnacle of an American athlete and citizen. He did everything right during the Olympics - he volunteered to submit himself to weekly drug tests during the Beijing Olympics, and talked about his hope to help the sport of swimming expand throughout the United States. His swimming accolades elevated him to immortality. But when you boil down to the essence of Phelps, without all the PR, sponsorships and press, he is just like the average, slightly sleazy college student - and one that got caught.

We as college students know that our past accomplishments and future goals may be tarnished by what goes on the Internet. The warnings pelt us every now and then, particularly during recruiting season: Don't post photos if you don't want certain people to see them. Once it goes online, it's never coming down. Your name will be Googled with every resume you submit.

Now we see that even the country's greatest Olympic triumph can't escape the criticism, even when it has no effect on his athletic performance whatsoever.

Phelps' excellence in the pool ends at the final touch and how he chooses to live outside of that role doesn't affect his success. Sure, the public can criticize him for his choices (especially if they are illegal), but they are no different that the weekly lineup of activities that occur on every college campus across the nation. Since Phelps acts like many others his age, a full-blown uproar over his behavior as a member of that culture is an overreaction to him trying to lead his normal life.

Similarly, our futures may be compromised by Facebook or MySpace, no matter what our resumes say we are capable of. Should an interviewer assume that our strong credentials mean that we don't ever put a toe out of line and let loose now and again?

Of course not, just as we shouldn't assume that because Michael Phelps is an Olympic champion, he's going to lead a model life. The picture has nothing to do with the past or his future on the world's greatest stage.

You can't blame Phelps for what he's done - instead, question the origins of his good-boy image. Phelps ascended the ladder through talent and good genes, and has been praised to high heaven since he was about five years old. Without a life outside eat-sleep-swim, he didn't have time to get in trouble, and the public constructed an inaccurate portrayal of his character. Now he's taking the fall.

The rest of us may not be Olympic record-setters, but we still can fall victim to a bad Internet presence. In the end, it shouldn't matter. But if 16 Olympic medals can't save you from losing a little face, what can?

Christina Domenico is a College senior from North Wildwood, N.J. The Undersized Undergrad appears on Tuesdays. Her email address is domenico@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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