I don't think it's devil's advocacy at all -- I think it is quite possible for troubled teens to be reformed. I don't think that a crime someone participated in at 13 should necessarily set the tone for the rest of his life. But, at the same time, I find it really hard to swallow when someone gives him an elite scholarship in spite of his gruesome history. I feel like a violent crime in someone's recent past (even though that past was during his early adolescence) should at least exempt him from highly coveted special privileges, if not from an ordinary life. I wish UT would at least make some kind of gesture to counterbalance this, like giving a few scholarships to teens who volunteer at rape crisis centers or something. But no, they just have dollar signs in their eyes. It's a tricky issue.