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CA L I F O R N I A P O LY T E C H N I C S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
Cal Poly’s James Nunno came back from a life threatening injury to win the Big West decathlon. IN SPORTS, 12 Volume LXXIII, Number 158
As the Tiananmen 20th anniversary approaches, China monitors communication, shuts down Twitter.
Local store enriches plants and minds
IN NEWS, 6
IN ARTS, 8
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
www.mustangdaily.net
Adderall, study drugs abundant on campus Daniel Triassi, Katelyn Ball, Brittany McKinney and Jessa Squellati SPECIAL TO THE MUSTANG DAILY
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to the illegality of using and selling prescription ADD/ADHD medications for use other than their intended use, many of our sources have requested anonymity. They will be referred to by their first name or a pseudonym. Last quarter, 11,407 students frequented the 24-hour study room at Kennedy Library after hours. Courtney, a bleary-eyed business senior, was one of them. Like many students, she often finds herself pressed for time and she has pulled countless all-nighters in her academic career. Staying up all night to study is never easy, but Courtney enlists some chemical help: a 30-milligram tablet of Adderall. This prescription medication, which she acquires illegally from a friend, is a tiny orange pill that she washes down with a caffeinated beverage to stave off sleep and help her focus. “I would use it like candy if it was always available to me,” said Courtney, who requested that her last name not be used. When on Adderall, she typically doesn’t sleep for at least a day, but she does not believe the drug is dangerous. She usually scores As on her exams. On college campuses nationwide, the ingredients for academic success now include a dose of analeptics, the class of prescription amphetamines that is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. By some accounts, the use of Adderall and other ADD/ ADHD medications as study aids are be-
PART 1 of 2 Check out Thursday’s issue for part two
will taylor and omar sancheZ mustang daily photo illustration
Many students, both with and without a prescription, enlist the help of prescription drugs when faced with a test or paper to finish. coming almost as socially accepted as energy drinks and coffee. In an online poll conducted by the Mustang Daily, 34.5 percent of students who responded admitted to having used Adderall, Ritalin or Concerta without a prescription. Ninety percent of them said they used it as a study aid; other uses included weight loss
and as a recreational drug. A recent survey by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that fulltime college students aged 18 to 22 are twice as likely as their counterparts who were not in school to have used Adderall non-medically in the past year. Studies at other college campuses have found rates of
illegal stimulant use that range from 4 to 35 percent. Helpful or harmful? Like Courtney, many students see their use of these drugs as technically illegal but see Drugs, page 2
Upcoming Poly program accused of violating free speech rights Chris Jagger MUSTANG DAILY
The launch of an upcoming Cal Poly program aimed at reducing the number of discriminatory incidents on campus has been postponed after claims of possible free-speech violations surfaced. CARE-Net, a campus advocacy group, was slated to start in May to allow students to report any “biased-related” incidents they encounter on campus. The program has been in the works since January after Cal Poly President Warren Baker and Cal Poly President Robert Koob asked student affairs and academic affairs to develop the program. However, the implementation of the program was sped up following what some say were discriminatory incidents from last October when a noose and a confederate flag were displayed outside the crop house. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that advocates for individuals on college campuses nationwide, thinks the CARE-Net program is unconstitutional and impedes upon
Cal Poly students’ First Amendment rights. to review the wording and make sure it is unFIRE claimed responsibility for “pressuring” derstood correctly.” Cal Poly to not support the future of the CARE“As far as we are concerned we are still on Net program due to potential “bias” speech and track. The Web site is being suspended but our said that the program was unconstitutional in a progress toward implementing the program has press release. FIRE claims that not been suspended.” Cal Poly has suspended the The CARE-Net team deentire program. However, no fines a biased incident as “any FIRE representatives could speech, act or harassing inciThe Web site is be reached by press time. dent or action taken by a perVice Provost for Aca- being suspended but son or group that is perceived demic Programs David Conn to be malicious or discriminaexpects CARE-Net to be our progress toward tory toward another person or launched next fall. In the ingroup based on bias or prejuimplementing the terim, CARE-Net facilitators dice relating to such characterprogram has not have suspended the Web site istics as race, color, sex, sexual in order to make sure that the orientation, gender identity, been suspended. language used to describe the national origin, ancestry, ethprogram properly reflects its nicity, religion, age or mental —david Conn purpose. or physical disability.” Provost for Academic programs “The intent (of CAREAccording to FIRE’s press Net) is to provide additional release, Cal Poly has promised modes of communication that any future CARE-Net and dialogue for students,” Conn said. “We real- program “will not function to suppress controized the original language could have been mis- versial, offensive or any other kind of protected leading, so we suspended the Web site in order speech.”
“I don’t agree with (FIRE’s) interpretation of what CARE-NET is all about,” Conn said. “It never intended to impede on free speech rights.” About 25 students, staff and faculty are involved with CARE-Net, including 12 campus advocates who will be available for students to report incidents to. Students will also be able to report incidents anonymously through EthicsPoint, a third party online entity. This is not the first time Cal Poly has dealt with FIRE. In 2003, the organization led a campaign against Cal Poly’s decision to charge student and member of Cal Poly College Republicans Steve Hinkle with “disruption” for posting a flier on the Multicultural Center’s bulletin board announcing a College Republicanssponsored speech by a black social critic. In that case, Hinkle successfully fought Cal Poly’s disciplinary action in a federal lawsuit against Cal Poly led by FIRE and the Center for Individual Rights. Cal Poly was forced to strike the disciplinary action from Hinkles’ record, and to pay significant attorney fees in a settlement of $40,000. — Cassandra J. Carlson contributed to this report.