Before the 1970s, college students were treated as children. So many colleges ran in loco parentis system. ' In loco parentis' is a Latin term, meaning ' in the place of a parent. ' It describes when someone else accepts responsibility to act in the interests of a child. This idea developed long ago in British common law to define the responsibility of, teachers toward their students. For years, American courts upheld in loco parentis in cases such as Gott versus Berea College in 1913. Gott owned a restaurant off campus. Berea threatened to expel students who ate at places not owned by the school. The Kentucky high court decided that in loco parentis justified that rule. In loco parentis meant that male and female college students usually had to live in separate buildings. Women had to be back at their dorms by ten or eleven on school nights. But in the 1960s, students began to protest rules and restrictions like these. At the same time, courts began to support students who were being punished for political and social dissent. In 1960, Alabama State College expelled six students who took part in a civil rights demonstration. They sued the school and won. After that, it became harder and harder to defend in loco parentis. At that time, students were not considered adults until 21. Then, in 1971, the 24th amendment to the Constitution set the voting age at eighteen. So in loco parentis no longer really applied. Slowly, colleges began to treat students not as children, but as adults. Students came to be seen as consumers of educational services. Gary Dickstein, an assistant vice president at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, says in loco parentis is not really gone. It just looks different. Todays parents, he says, are often heavily involved in students lives. They are known as 'helicopter parents'. They always seem to hover over their children. Gary Dickstein says these parents are likely to question decisions, especially about safety issues and grades. They want to make sure their financial investment is not being wasted. Before the 1970s, many colleges ran in loco parentis system because______.