4th and Long

by Joseph genest Illustration by hannah Swann

“We weren’t even smoking.” A phrase uttered all too often across campus offers serious consequence. This year drug arrests on campus and in dorms have nearly doubled in comparison to last year. VCU Police Chief John Venuti said most of their arrests come from “complaints that come in”. Complaints? Contemplating the term, a complaint about drug usage would infer two things: 1. The usage is in an open area and clearly visible to numerous people. 2. The users are being so detrimentally offensive it is imposing upon someone else’s right to live comfortably.

In most of the interviews I’ve conducted, the general consensus does not even come close to matching these criteria. The most basic formula to these complaints is in the simplest differentiation from dorm life to real life: police don’t need a search warrant, and those

complaining know that.

Before I go any further, yes, I am well aware that most drugs, as well as alcohol consumption under the age of 21, is illegal. However, these laws have several convoluted issues that arise in terms of economic and social prosperity. I could go on for days about the pros and cons of making drugs legal, but the very purpose for complaining does not line up with the logic to why these substance’s restrictions were made in the first place. About 70% of the people I interviewed received complaints at times they weren’t even participating in anything wrong. However, in allowing this, VCU is encouraging behavior not compatible with the real world. As an educational body responsible for helping students transition into the adult world, how does condoning this behavior help?

I think it’s a double edged sword when it comes to VCU’s responsibilities. On one hand, the school is suppose to help ensure a safe and healthy atmosphere for all of its students, which in all fairness, means that certain students hold the right to live and work in a drug free environment. On the other end, VCU also acts as a profitable business.

As the saying goes, “the customer is always right” and when it comes down to it, a school is more likely to invest in the interest and impose upon the rights of another if their investment will make a better return. In other words, they encourage students to tell on other students for their illegal activities under the assumption that those engaged in illegal activity will bring in less benefit to their school then the ones that don’t. And yes, you can say VCU offers students services to help them get on track in the event that they do get in trouble but keep in mind, the competition (other state schools) does as well.

Then there is the factor of the state. A police officer holds their power to search your dorm as being a “friend to the commonwealth”. Because you have allegedly violated your housing contract by violating a school regulation, the officer has the right to search your room under the interest of both VCU and the state. The state is protecting their investment in the university.

However, I find that there is a contrast in interest with the actors involved. The state has laws in place to protect its people from harm, not to protect its private interest in prospering as a state. VCU, however, can hold the right to search as they own the building. Additionally, because the state has written the law in such a way that infers more to the rights of its people, it should put privacy over economic interest.

After all the research and interviews I had on this subject, I have to say my feelings are mixed. On one end, it’s not the worst thing to be able to keep an

eye on kids who just left the comforts of home in hoping they assimilate well to the real world. On the other end, I do have a problem with kids abusing the powers at hand to handle their own personal gain against grudges they hold. In the end, the only solution I can think of to this problem comes in personal responsibility on both sides. While it is true that VCU will never stop their students from participating in these activities, (in fact, I would embrace the fact that VCU was ranked #5 in terms of marijuana activism in High Times) a certain amount of regulation is necessary. Although a school will never encourage drinking or doing drugs, a more honest approach would be cool.

Telling freshman to be smart about their drinking and don’t try to compete with their older peers would be a first step. Making it known that it bothers other residents to smoke in the dorms and imply (but not suggest) other alternatives. It goes for the other end too. A marijuana or alcohol charge comes with some heavy consequence. Besides that, it’s somewhat dishonest (and hypocritical) to be so harsh on students when methods the school uses to attract students include bringing in musical artists that rap about how much “They Love College” (come on, VCU don’t act like you didn’t know what the song was about). I think if VCU upped their punishment without the need of bringing in the law, you would find a healthier relationship between those students with errors and the school.

Keep in mind, most people that come to college want to be here, (the idea of this place has been etched into some of our brains since preschool) so they probably would not want to lose the opportunity to stay. All in all, I think it’s also hard to judge those who have gotten in trouble (I think Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, and Ted Turner have done pretty well, and are completely candid of their past). Because of this unknown factor of success, doesn’t it hurt VCU to encourage putting a criminal charge on someone, crippling their chances of employment that in return would increase their university’s reputation? In the end, walking past posters for musical artists that burn more weed than the DEA in Mexico and passing a security desk talking about how “dank” a room smelt, it seems this is a problem that is here to stay. The real question is, with VCU’s reputation growing and growing in academia, will their approach become more open-minded and honest, or will this thought just go up in smoke?