Life beyond the haze

Abigayle Allen

Opinion Editor

TRIGGER WARNING: This article includes conversations about different substances that college kids may or may not abuse. When was the last time you used a substance? Many students at GC have this conversation freely and frequently. Whether you are in class, listening to someone talk about the Adderall they bought from someone to study for a test, at a bar listening to your friend brag about their fifth lemon-drop shot or at a party, watching attendees leave the bathroom rubbing the remnants of cocaine off their noses, drugs seem to be so normalized on a college campus. The conversations associated with substance abuse present themselves as casual or cool after entering your freshman year of college. Many students make it a normal activity to try and alter their natural states using some sort of substance. It seems that students are so desensitized to different substances that even recreational or stereotypical drugs associated with college cul- ture, such as marijuana or cocaine, seem to be old news. Have college kids become numb to the idea of numbing themselves? Students at GC are familiar with terms like “T-Shirt Tuesday,” “Wine Wednesday” or even “Thirsty Thursday.” These are all times during the week where you can find the downtown bars filled to the brim with college students. While substances other than alcohol seem to be out of sight, take one trip to an afterparty, and you are likely to be met with some sort of drug use.

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Renfroe had also attended the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College and the FBI National Academy. She is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. She is also the founder of the Nikki R. Renfroe Emerging Leader Prep School Scholarship at Georgia Military Prep School, which provides tuition aid for minority high school students from single-parent homes.

Renfroe was the first woman to achieve the Troop Commander title.

She was the first African American female to achieve the rank of Captain in the Georgia State Patrol. During this time, Renfroe worked crisis, hostage negotiations traffic crash reconstruction and recruitment.

Before her retirement, Renfroe was ap-

Katherine Futch..............

Cale Strickland................

Claire O’Neill...................

Rebecca Meghani..........

Lily Pruitt............................

Hayden Flinn....................

Brennan Schmitz...........

Jennifer Crider.................

William Van de Planque..............................

Abigayle Allen..................

Hannah Adams...............

Anjali Shenoy................

Marissa Marcolina.........

Connor Patronis.............

Robert Trotter...................

William Burke..................

pointed to the Office of Planning and Research and was assigned to the Commissioner’s Office.

Renfroe currently serves as the founding co-chair of the Traffic Safety Committee for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. She also serves on the national Law Enforcement Committee for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Renfroe earned many titles, awards and achievements before coming to serve as GC’s Interim Chief.

It was announced that more details about the search for a permanent Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police will be announced soon, but for now, Renfroe is here to stay and make an impact on GC’s campus.

Renfroe has several plans for GC, but none that are new for students.

“One of the things that I am examining most recently is how we can make sure that proper notification is made in the wake of an emergency or just important information that needs to get out there,” Renfroe said.

She claims that the most important things are some of the little things, like crosswalks, lights on campus and the RAVE app.

Renfroe plans to train and teach her officers so that they are more equipped for situations on campus at any given time.

“We are planning to build on what we already have,” Renfroe said.

“There is always room for us, as law enforcement officers and members of public safety, to increase our knowledge.”

The GC community welcomes Chief Renfroe with open arms and can expect more communication between public safety and students in the future.