Students still smoke ‘wherever and whenever’

DRUGS, page 1 and evidence to go ahead and issue a warrant,” Shaffner said.

Public Safety and Residence Life consult with each other in cases where there is suspicion of sale or use of drugs on campus. After much investigation, they come back with factual information and have strong reason to issue a warrant to go in and search a person’s room. Residence Life is responsible for coming up with the consequences and decides what will happen to a student if they are found using or selling drugs.

Is Cabrini a drug campus?

Does Cabrini have a reputation for being a college associated with the sale of drugs?

When talking to students, these questions are debatable. Some students who are involved in the using and selling of the drugs believe that Cabrini is a drug campus. Other students believe it is no bigger a problem at Cabrini than on any other college campus.

One student says, “Students from Eastern and Valley Forge Military Academy come over here to buy drugs. What does that tell ya?”

Another student says, “More people drink alcohol on this campus, and compared to my high school, this is nothing.”

-anonymous student

Jessica Damato, a sophomore Elementary education major, does not associate or participate in any activities where drugs and alcohol are used. However, the fact that many people on campus use drugs and alcohol so frequently does not affect her personally or the way she views the college.

“I would never do drugs and I don’t drink, but it is not my deci- sion whether or not other people decide to do drugs or drink alcohol. It has never been an issue that has affected me. I think that there are certain people on campus that do drugs more often on campus than other people who may smoke pot once in a while. Bigger schools are worse. Because this is a smaller school, it is not as secretive or as easy to hide, as it would be on a bigger campus,” Damato said.

Damato’s boyfriend, Josh Dzielak, a 2004 graduate of Cabrini, feels that the drug use on campus has gotten worse since he graduated.

“The freshman class that came in when I was a senior was using drugs more on campus. Public Safety needs to do more, because it’s becoming a bigger problem,” Dzielak said. Residence Life was unavailable to comment on this issue due to scheduling conflicts.

Almost 16 millionuse drugs

One

KELLIE BELMONTE STAFF WRITER KRB722@CABRINI EDU

A19-year-old boy was driving down a road when he was pulled over for speeding. When the police officer asked the boy for his license and registration, the officer noticed an additional identification in the boy’s wallet. He confiscated the ID, only to find that it was a fake driver ’s license, claiming that this boy was of the age of 21. Now what used to seem like a small offense is considered serious, and it is even considered an act of terrorism. This boy is now facing potential prison time.

Tons of underage college students all over the United States have had fake IDs at some point or another, mostly to be able to purchase alcohol and enter bars. However, what students don’t realize is that there are repercussions for having a fake ID.

According to the U.S. Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 47, a person who knowingly and without lawful authority produces an identification document or a false identification document, knowingly transfers an identification document or a false identification document knowing that such document was stolen or produced without lawful authority, and knowingly possesses with intent to use unlawfully or transfer unlawfully five or more identification documents (other than those issued lawfully for the use of the possessor) or false identification documents, could potentially serve up to 15 years in prison, if there were no other charges or crimes involved. The punishment for an offense under this could be a fine or imprison-

Be 21

ment.

Since the September 11 tragedy, the government has become much more strict with those possessing, producing and transferring any kind of false identification. According to CNN.com, since state IDs, such as a driver’s license or birth certificate often vary by state or county, it’s almost impossible for service employees to verify the authenticity.

Chris McGoey, a San Francisco, Calif.-based security consultant, has worked with numerous major retailers on combating identity theft. He has seen hundreds of falsified IDs, and while he hasn’t seen the ones used by the alleged September 11 hijackers, he offers some insight into how they could have been obtained. “If you take an L.A. birth certificate to New York, they’re probably not going to have a clue as to whether it’s official or not,” says McGoey, according to CNN.com.

Many college students believe it is very easy to obtain a fake ID, especially those at close proximity to a big city. With cities like Philadelphia and New York, young adults claim that the process of getting a fake ID is simple.

Ayoung man by the name of Aaron Ginsberg is a 20-year-old sophomore at New York University in New York City. Ginsberg has lived in the city for two years now and claims that everyone knows where to go and how to get fake identification. Ginsberg said, “All there is to do in New York is go to bars and clubs. Because barely any young people here drive, they aren’t very strict with carding at the door, because they know they won’t be at risk

COURTESYOF for trouble with people driving drunk afterwards. If they didn’t have these young people coming to their bars, they wouldn’t be making the same money.”

Tons of underage college students all over the United States have had fake IDs at some point or another,mostly to be able to purchase alcohol and enter into bars.

Ginsberg also explains that finding a place or a person who will make fake IDs is not difficult.

“Everyone here knows that tattoo and piercing places are your best bet. Some of the places can scam you pretty bad, but others can give you a pretty good fake. There’s also so many young kids making them on their own and selling them. If you have Photo- shop, it doesn’t take too long to figure out how to do them,” Ginsberg said.

Aformer student of Cabrini College works part-time as a bouncer at the Wild Onion Bar in Villanova, Pa. He said, “It’s pretty easy to tell a fake ID from a real one. We pretty much have to card anyone who looks around the age of 28 and younger. We don’t call the police when someone has a fake ID, but we will confiscate it. However, sometimes if there are problems, the police will be called and people will be charged.”

Although young adults tend to believe that having a fake ID isn’t such a terrible crime, the government tends to think otherwise. If having a fake ID can be considered a form of terrorism, then one with a fake ID can be considered a terrorist. The 20-year-old boy who is potentially facing prison time has some advice: “Rip up those fake IDs, because this isn’t worth it. You’ll be 21 soon enough.”