It is a well known saying that college is the time for experimenting with different things. Many times, the “things” in question are drugs and alcohol.
It is obviously no secret that most college students at least occasionally drink alcohol or perhaps even smoke marijuana. It is the individual choice of each student, and we’re not going to preach about whether or not students should or should not experiment.
But this week we would like to make a statement, particularly aimed at freshmen or sophomores living in the dorms, regarding the “experimenting” — please keep it off campus.
Yes, this is partially in response to the freshman student who alledgedly parked in a handicapped space outside Rhoads Hall and was busted for possession of marijuana after the police approached him over the parking violation.
Had this young man simply parked his car at a friend’s off campus house, he likely would not be in any legal trouble at the moment. Let it be a lesson to all students across campus.
While this case was humorous to read about, we shouldn’t single one student out. Our police blotter is filled with students getting busted for trying to sneak drugs and alcohol into the dorms. Anyone that has lived in the dorms has witnessed their peers drinking. Most are guilty of it themselves.
But it is an issue that really doesn’t need to be an issue, at least not at the severe level it is.
Go to a friends house off campus if you want to drink or smoke. One would have to think it would be more fun for you anyway. You don’t have to worry about a CA knocking on your door, killing the fun you are trying to have.
Better yet, you won’t be bothering the students next door as you get increasingly louder with each passing game of “Rock Band” or whatever is popular at the moment.
And while alcohol in the dorms is bad, marijuana use is down right annoying.
To start with, your entire floor can smell it, regardless of whether you have the towel along the door with the window open and the mini fan on. You’re not fooling anyone.
Aside from the recognizable stench, there is the whole issue of fire alarms. It’s winter. No one wants to stand outside at 11:00 p.m. because your smoke set off the alarm.
It doesn’t even matter if one day marijuana becomes legal in the state. Excluding any medical situations, don’t smoke drugs in a dorm full of other students that don’t want to smell it.
We’re not telling people not to drink. We’re not even telling people not to do drugs.
What we are asking, is if you are going to do it, go to a friend’s off campus house. Don’t have friends off campus? Make some. It’ll help out in that crazy college experiment thing you’re trying.
Keep the stuff off campus. You’ll have more fun and it will be less of a headache for the school and your peers.
