VOLUME 15 ISSUE 27 | WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY| FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015
10th Annual Academic Excellence event showcases students By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer An entire day of classes was canceled for Western students in recognition of the 10th annual Academic Excellence Showcase. Students were heavily encouraged to participate in the event by their professors, including the canceling of class, or the requirement o f
Bridget Rogers’ Designing Woman Costume display reflected the body of work for the theatre/dance department. For the past two years, Rogers has designed costumes for productions such as “Spike Heels,” “Harmonic Fusion,” (in the Dance Concert 2014) and “None of the Above.” PHOTO BY SHANNEN BROUNER
Public Safety experiences temporary rise in on-campus alcohol violations University Housing to focus on education with new marijuana laws By Jack Armstrong News Editor
Campus Public Safety’s weekly crime reports have seen a rise in the number of alcohol-related violations reported over the past few weeks. For the past two weeks, over half of the reported contacts made by CPS on campus have been for alcohol-related incidents. Both CPS and the University Housing Program stated that the rise in contacts made by CPS is not indicative of a wide spread problem on campus, but simply more violations requiring the intervention of CPS. “In a year [the number of
small slips handed out during presentations to show attendance. Certain classes require that students see presentations related to the typical course material, while others encourage branching out to view whatever catches the student’s eye.
“I’m nervous and honored,” stated Caitlin Masterson, a fourth-year ASL studies major who presented “Battle of the Sexes: Gender’s effect on ASL learners.” Masterson said, “I became curious why there were so few men in ASL classes. I did a bunch of research to try and figure out if gender played a role in our ability to learn languages.” Both the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences hosted this year’s Showcase. The event is typically structured by areas of focus, such as music, computer science and philosophy. This allowed for students to pick areas of focus and attend many
violations] ebbs and flows, there are times where there are more incidents and times where there is less,” said Charisse Loughery, University Housing program coordinator. Loughery stated, “there might be more incidents being reported to CPS right now, but I wouldn’t say there has been an overall increase in alcohol issues.” Often, incidents that happen within the resident halls are dealt with directly by either the Resident Assistants or the Resident Director. “We try to use our RA and
presentations in a row without running around campus frantically between presentations. Presentations took shape in poster board productions, spoken presentations, and replicated performances of dance numbers and plays. Brenda Puhlman and Sarah Pettigrew presented one of the spoken presentations in tandem. Their presentation was titled “The Adventures of Two SSP’s: Seabeck to Oklahoma” and discussed their personal experiences working with Deafblind individuals in that area. “I had a phenomenal overall experience with Academic Excellence Showcase,” said Puhlman, a thirdyear in the ASL/English interpreting program. “It was an awesome opportunity to share my experiences and to share about a culture that not many people are familiar with.” There was even an entire showing of the play “Frankie’s Flights of Fancy” for students to partake in for free. After the production, the cast members stuck around to answer any questions or take comments from the crowd as feedback. Ultimately, it was another successful year for students to showcase the work that made them stand out from the rest.
RD resources rather than public safety,” said Tina Fuchs, dean of students and judicial affairs. “But sometimes the involvement of CPS is necessary, and perhaps that is what is being represented in the blotters.” With the end of the term approaching and the summer weather taking hold in the Pacific Northwest, more and more students are looking to spend their free time outdoors. This change in activity could be responsible for the increased CPS activity in on-campus housing. “Spring hits, and it’s a
little nicer out; people tend to be out and about, so we can experience more violations of housing policy in general,” said Fuchs. Director of Public Safety Rebecca Chiles offered a counter-point, suggesting that the number of incidents overall has remained fairly stable despite the weather. “In my experience, it’s not unusual this time of year versus any other time of year,” Chiles said. “This is my first year here, but I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary with the numbers.” In addition to the restless Continued on Page 2
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THE JOURNAL 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE NEWSROOM 503-838-8347
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WOU finalizes tobacco-free plans for upcoming year Plans to take effect fall quarter 2015 By Madison McCammon Staff Writer
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At the beginning of fall term, 2015, Western will become a tobacco-free campus — like many other universities in Oregon. On Tuesday, May 26, President Mark Weiss sent out an e-mail to all students regarding the tobacco policy change. Weiss said that “[the] use of tobacco on campus-owned property” will be banned at the beginning of next year. This includes any and all tobacco products including e-cigarettes and vaporizers. First-year theatre major AJ Saddler is a part of the Heritage Hall Government, a division of the Residence Hall Association. On behalf of Heritage Hall residents, Saddler and his coworkers were asked to vote on the issue based on what they thought was best for the campus. “I was in favor, personally, of doing smokefree, and that’s what I voted for. The vote that passed was tobacco-free and I realized that tobacco-free was the best option for this campus,” Saddler said. Even some current smokers like Brandt Van Soolen, a junior philosophy major, saw some benefit to the policy. “In a way [the policy change] is kind of a problem, because I smoke. And in another way, I don’t disagree with it,” Van Soolen said. “Not only did they address the problem, but they saw other problems that would come about from it and took care of that too.” This policy has been under debate for more than five years. As the last public four-year university in Oregon to allow smoking on campus, some faculty felt that the change was overdue.
“[The policy] has been on the table of discussion for about five years, but faculty and student turnover—such as graduation — has impeded the process,” said Craig Wimmer, health education coordinator. Some concerns raised regarding the policy change are the consequences for noncompliance and what smokers/tobacco users can expect next year. “What future consequences occur for those not in compliance will be determined as appropriate,” Weiss said. Weiss emphasized that even in his absence, the policy “will be implemented the WOU way — that is, with respect and consideration of those that need help complying…We will make sure to have on-campus resources in place to help our students and staff.” “As a former smoker, I know quitting or regulating tobacco use is both stressful and can feel like an infringement on liberties we all share in America… I have seen up close and personal the effects of tobacco use,” Weiss said. According to the Western Website Policies and Procedures page, the tobacco-free policy will become effective on September 16, 2015 and will be up for review in September 2020. While smoking or the use of any tobacco products will not be allowed on campus, those who choose to will still be allowed to go offcampus in order to use their tobacco products. President Weiss requests that those who do choose this option will be respectful of the residents of Monmouth. “[Western] needs to be good neighbors to our bordering residents,” Weiss said.
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SUBMISSIONS THE JOURNAL encourages readers to share their opinion through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name. Contact information will not be published unless requested. Unsigned submissions will not be printed and original copies will not be returned. Letters to the editor may be up to 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 500 words. THE JOURNAL does not guarantee the publication of all letters or columns. THE JOURNAL reserves the right to edit for punctuation, grammar, and spelling, but never for content. Please bring submissions to THE JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@wou.edu. Submissions must be received by Wednesday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print. All opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of THE JOURNAL or Western Oregon University.
CAMPUS BRIEFS
WOLF Ride trips to Salem WOLF Ride is offering rides to transportation hubs in Salem from June 9-12 for $10. Destinations include the Amtrak train station and HUT shuttle. Those who are interested must submit a Ride Request form to Room 203 in Werner University Center (located across from the Bookstore) by Tuesday, June 2. The Ride Request form is available in Room 203 of WUC or online at http:// www.wou.edu/student/wolfr ide/documents/F inals WeekRideRequest.pdf. Get Lei’d Lu’au The Peer Mentors annual Get Lei’d Lu’au will be held today, Friday, May 29 in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center from 6-9 p.m. The event begins with Real Life Trivia Crack: Sex Edition and will be followed by carnival games. Students who attend will have the
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015
chance to win huge giveaways including a 40” Samsung TV, a Fit Bit and Kindle, to name a few. The event is free for oncampus students and costs $2 for off-campus students. Freebie Friday This week’s Freebie Friday includes a Bookstore Instagram Scavenger Hunt from 2-3 p.m. and is open to all students, staff and faculty. Check in at the alcove outside of the Bookstore to receive clues. The Bookstore will also offer a 30 percent discount on all Western imprinted merchandise until 5 p.m. to all students who participate in the scavenger hunt. There will also be free brownie bites. Campus Dining will offer their Freebie Friday discounts of penny fries at Wolf Grill until 3 p.m. and penny espresso shots at Caffé Allegro until 5 p.m. The final Freebie Friday will be held on Friday, June
5 and will feature magician Hart Keene, who appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” The event will be held at the Summit. There will be door prizes and free marionberry cobbler. Closing Q-Lot and Q-Loop Q-Lot on Monmouth Avenue will be closed permanently Sunday, May 31, and Q-Loop from Monmouth Avenue to Stadium Drive will be closed permanently Friday, June 5 to begin the building process of the Richard Woodcock Education Center. 2015 Commencement Western’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 at McArthur Field. The list of commencement participants was posted on Thursday, May 28. The last day to sign up for commencement is Sunday, May 31. For more information, see Western’s new commencement website at http:// www.wou.edu/graduation/
Alcohol Violations From Front Page
students at the end of the term, CPS and University Housing are faced with the possibility of a sharp increase in the number of marijuana violations when the fall 2015 term begins. “We are looking to campaign with a lot of education up-front concerning the marijuana policy. I believe we might have confusion due to the legality in Oregon,” Fuchs said. “I think some kids will think that it will be okay for them to bring it to campus.” University Housing and CPS were both quick to stress that despite Oregon’s legalization, Western’s campus policy regarding marijuana will be unchanged. As stated by the WOU student handbook, “the university will initiate disciplinary hearings for possession, consumption, manufacturing, or sale of illegal drugs or any other controlled substance on or off university owned or controlled property.” “We have to comply with the drug-free schools’ policies,” Loughery said. “We receive funding from the federal government. Our current zero-tolerance policy in university housing will continue.” In addition to the federal government’s prohibition, Western recently implemented a complete non-smoking policy on campus. “I expect our marijuana policy will mirror the non-smoking policy that will be taking effect on campus in the fall,” Chiles said.
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NEWS SPORTS
Larson earns First-Team All-American Honors
Javelin throwers Limas De La Cruz and Short also compete at NCAAs
Javelin throwers Justin Larson, Sheila Limas De La Cruz and Amanda Short competed in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship. The trio competed at Grand Valley State University’s Track & Field Stadium in Western Michigan from May 21-23. In his third straight national championship appearance, Larson threw a personal best of 66.68 meters (218-9) on his final throw of the competition. Larson broke a 24-yearold school record set by Western alum David Nickell in addition to earning U.S. Track &
Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Outdoor All-American honors. Larson’s top-eight performance earned him the First-Team USTFCCAA All-American honors, a feat that has not been achieved by a Wolf since 2011. Limas De La Cruz and Short made their national championship debut on Saturday, May 23 in the women’s javelin finals. Limas De La Cruz and Short placed 17th and 19th, respectively. Limas de La Cruz threw 39.19 meters (128-7) and Short threw 38.76 meters (1272). Justin Larson threw his personal best of 66.68 meters earning him All-American honors.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL GOSNEY Sheila Limas De La Cruz placed 17th with a throw of 39.19 meters.
Amanda Smart threw 38.76 meters landing her 19th place.
2015 NBA FINALS
WESTERN CONFERENCE
The NBA Finals Playoff series is set to start in Oakland on Thursday, June 4 with tipoff at 6 p.m. PST. The Golden State Warriors are favored to win the series with in-form Stephen Curry coming in off the back of game three against the Rockets where he broke the record for most three-pointers scored in a playoff season at 67 and counting. Klay Thompson is also heating up for the Warriors sinking 20 points in the final game against the Rockets. This is the Warriors first finals appearance since their last NBA title win in 1975. The Cavaliers and Lebron
James are arriving to the big stage battered and bruised. With at least four players experiencing day-to-day injuries (including James), the Cavs played one less game but are still feeling the physical side. This didn’t stop James’ trophy-hunting side from putting up a triple-double in the overtime game three, and a respectable 23 points in game four against the Atlanta Hawks. Looking for a boost, Kyrie Irving returned to the starting line-up after missing two games and posted an efficient 16 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ESPN.COM
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Original Play by Western Students Takes “Flight” Devised theatre project’s year-long process culminates with terrific performance The best word to describe Western theatre’s spring play, “Frankie’s Flights of Fancy” is this: magical. An original – or “devised” – work created by a group of Western students, this family-friendly show is an exploration of what it means to be a child, when adventures of the imagination and “flights of fancy” are delightfully common, and can be propelled by something as simple as a favorite toy. The play will run May 2730 and each performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. “Frankie” opens with a little girl, the titular Frankie, entering a cobweb-blanketed room decorated with faded posters and paintings. The wallpaper is water-worn and sagging; crates and boxes of all sizes add to the clutter. It’s not long before Frankie, who is played by thirdyear theatre major Belladina Starr, wearing a full-head character mask designed by the Portland theatre company Wonderheads, soon discovers that one of the aforementioned boxes is different than the others; this box is a portal to the imagination, to a world of dreams. With the help of this magic box, Frankie is transported to an assortment of different worlds, all with their own unique characters and dangers. Through the use of masks, marionettes, shadow puppets, projections and animations, Frankie chases a Wild West villain, conducts an orchestra, does battle with a Japanese demon and more. The process of creating “Frankie” has been a yearlong endeavor which began last fall. A class led by Western theatre professor Michael Phillips started from scratch to “build” a show from the ground up.
By Nathaniel Dunaway Entertainment Editor
Starr, no doubt the star of [puppets] work. I’ve learned the show, has been involved to be able to move as one in with “Frankie” since the be- a group. I’m also glad I took ginning. the movement class, [it] has “Devised theatre is hard,” helped tremendously, beStarr said. “It’s so much cause this show is all about about working together and movement.” being a team every step of The end product of this the way. But when everyone yearlong undertaking proves comes together — designers, to be a touching tribute to the actors, tech, crew, everyone magic of childhood, as well as — and get past the uncer- the magic of theatre. tainty, and the challenges that arise, it’s rewarding.” “Getting to see something This isn’t the first time you helped create is beautiWestern’s theatre depart- ful,” Starr said. “It’s not like ment has explored original anything else.” work. In 2013, a similar Student tickets to “Frankclass, also led by Phillips, ie’s Flights of Fancy” are created and performed the free. Tickets for faculty and devised show “Half a Block non-students can be purFrom Home.” chased at the Rice AuditoOnce the story outline and rium Box Office or over the general script for “Frankie” phone at 503-838-8462. was completed, a new class, held in winter term, carried the project closer to its completion, establishing the specific logistics of the puppets, animations, props, and more. PHOTOS BY SHANNEN BROUNER The music for the show, a complete original score, was designed by music composition major Ian Knowland. This score was central to the magic of “Frankie,” helping to transport both the little girl and the audience to locales that include a rollicking old-timey circus, and a dimly lit, noir-soaked interrogation room. Once the show was cast, it was up to the nine cast members and director Phillips to bring “Frankie” life. “I have never used puppets,” said firstyear theatre major Edgar Lopez, who, among other roles, portrays an old circus custodian who is secretly a master of shadow puppetry. “It takes a lot of team effort to make Frankie, portrayed by Belladina Starr, faces off with a Japanese demon played by Andrew de la Paz, in a scene inspired by bunraku and kabuki theatre styles.
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015
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Bursting the tuition bubble By Jerry Creasy Business and Economics Club President
T
he continued rise in inflationadjusted college tuition over the years has been a systemic problem, creating huge financial burden for students across the country. On average, tuition increases more than it should when adjusted for inflation. Inflation occurs when the average price for all goods and services increases from what they were the year before. This would also include wages, which hypothetically should be going up along with inflation. However, this has not been the case, but that is another matter altogether. Between 1994 and 2003, inflation-adjusted tuition rose by about 4 percent per year, meaning that compared to all other goods, it increased 4 percent more than everything else. This is astronomical and leaves a devastating burden on the country’s educated workforce. Educated people are often the most productive, and creating such a disincentive for people to pursue a higher education will have a negative impact on the country as a whole. If it doesn’t stop them from getting a college degree, then it will leave them financially strapped afterwards so that they will not buy a house or consume as much as they would have otherwise, thereby hurting the economy due to less aggregate consumption. In addition to the economic cost of tuition, the impact is also felt emotionally. Students are often left stressed out and unhappy in their daily lives due to the financial burden that they are required to take on in order to receive an education in the first place. The next question we need to ask, and probably the most important one, is: why is tuition going up so much? As with most problems facing social scientists, and especially economists, there is usually more than one simple answer. Unfortunately, the real world is not a math equation. This question is rather hard to answer and is not as simple as many might think. There are a few different theories as to why this has been happening. Historically, many have thought that a decrease in state funding over time has caused students to foot more of the bill than they would have otherwise. However, this does
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not fully answer the question because in reality, public funding has grown, but the overall cost of education has also increased, and it is felt by a wider audience than just college students.
Another explanation is that increases in student loan limits have caused more demand for education than would have normally occurred in the market. This causes universities to justify raising tuition since students can pay for it with loans. Under this theory, universities charge more for tuition than they otherwise would have because they
know students can afford it. Increased competition between universities may also be another explanation. When one university builds a nice new building, other universities feel inclined to do
time, more administrators have been hired and salaries have increased tremendously. Tuition then must go up in order to pay for rising costs in both of these sectors. Still, others argue that education is a bubble that has been expanding because people overvalue the benefits of higher education. Everyone wants to buy it, which then causes prices to escalate over time. High demand for anything can cause prices to increase because supply struggles to meet demand. This concept would be similar to the housing bubble that we all experienced a few years ago when everyone wanted to buy and sell a house, thereby causing prices to go up drastically. These are just a few educated guesses as to what is causing tuition rates to rise so rapidly. There are still other theories up for debate. It is almost impossible to say which of these theories is driving tuition up. It is more than likely a combination of them all with some playing a stronger role than others. It is hard to say what can be done to solve the problem. Reducing competition between schools might be detrimental to education. In addition, it is difficult to say how any reform might take effect without actually implementing it. One thing is for sure though: making it harder for people to get an education and thus reducing the percentage of the population holding a bachelor’s degree is probably more harmful than it is beneficial. In an economy so bent on knowledge and skill rather than brute strength or ARTWORK CREATED BY CARLY FISTER endurance, we can see how a more educated society will be a more productive one. In the same. This causes costs to spiral developed countries across the world, as they compete to outdo each other having a well-educated workforce is with little real benefit to students’ strongly associated with having a education. sturdy economy. Knowing this, it may Also, administrative costs continue be inadvisable to do anything except to increase due to constant expansion. encourage higher education, but the According to a recent article by Paul cost must be lowered if we want to see Campos of The New York Times, a more educated society. between 1993 and 2009, administrative costs expanded by 60 percent. Over
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CAMPUS LIFE
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Prepare for WOU Mania By Amanda Clarke Staff Writer
The 11th annual WOU Mania will be held on Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. in the Werner University Center. This year’s WOU Mania has a sports theme; students are encouraged to wear their “finest sports jersey” to the event. Students who RSVP ahead of time via Orgsync will be entered to win door prizes. In addition to offering alluring free food, WOU Mania will also have multiple sports that students can participate in, such as one-on-one basketball and inflatable bouncy boxing. This year’s WOU Mania will feature two comedians: Byron Bowers will be performing at 9:45 p.m., and Kendra Corne will be performing at 10:30 p.m. Kya Rasmussen, a first-year early education major, said WOU Mania sounds “awesome.” “I’ve never really been one for sports, but it sounds like a fun time,” Rasmussen said. She also mentioned her interest in the henna that will be offered at the event. From its humble beginnings in 2004, WOU Mania has grown to be composed of multiple free events including a competitive eating contest, photo booth, caricatures, henna artists, a surf machine, and one-on-one competitive sports, just to name a few. The event is sponsored by Student Leadership and Activities/Werner University Center with the intention of drawing students to participate in oncampus events. WOU Mania was one of the Student Activities Board’s highlight events of last year, and in 2013 Mike Winfield, from Comedy Central, was invited to perform at the event. “The mechanical bull [last year] was fun but really tough. It was better if you didn’t wear socks,” said Clifford Mullen, a junior social science major. Previous years also included a Cat in the Hat photo booth as well as one-on-one competitive sports. Pictures from previous years are located on the SLA Orgsync page. For more information, contact Ed E-Nunu at enunue@wou.edu.
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015
PHOTO BY SHANNEN BROUNER Joelle Cooper’s (center) presentation “Aromatherapy and Mood” was a research project that predicted participants who were exposed to lavendar and rosemary would report feelings of calmness and energy, respectively.
Kate Ristau Author and former Western writing instructor Kate Ristau celebrates the release of her young adult novel “Shadowgirl” with a reading and book signing in Hamersly Library, Wednesday, May 27.
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CAMPUS LIFE
Exploring the inspirations behind different art forms Students present their work at the Northwest Passage release party By Katrina Penaflor Campus Life Editor The Northwest Passage celebrated the release of its spring issue Tuesday, May 26 in Hamersly Library. The party showcased students’ published work with a reading and was accompanied with music courtesy of KWOU radio. Northwest Passage is a literary magazine equipped with creations of poetry, short stories, writing, art, and photography all submitted by members of Western’s community. Emily Pate, a senior English major, was among the presenters. Her poem “The Fishwife” was inspired by a conversation she had with the Northwest Passage editor in chief, Bethany McWhorter, where they discussed a piece of Pate’s fiction that included the term fishwife. “I realized that it is a very interesting word, and wanted to write a poem that explored potential meanings not usually associated with it,” she said. “‘The Fishwife’ is about growing older, and how that changes someone’s perceptions, both about themselves and the world around them. Aging transforms both the body and the mind, so I wanted to depict that,” Pate said. Poet and fifth-year elementary education major
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Emily DuMond presented powerful poems titled “You are needed” and “Bravery” that depicted the topic of suicide. “I hope that my writing will reach those who need hope, that it will raise their spirits enough so that they think this life is worth living,” DuMond said. After the poetry readings, a slide show showcased the art and photography that was published. The work ranged from colorful screen prints depicting the effects of socially accepted vices to photographs of Haystack Rock. Senior art major Jeanine Newsome talked about her untitled oil painting of an unmade bed. She said the piece reflected the “soft and calming nature when you go to sleep.” The publication’s success is all thanks to students actively submitting their work and the editing work of English major and Northwest Passage editor-in-chief senior Bethany McWhorter. “It has been a difficult process publishing issues this year, but I have been surprised by the turn out of creative works displayed by the talented students at [Western],” McWhorter said. “I hope that student involvement continues to grow in the coming year.” She added, “it has been a wonderful experience working on the Northwest Passage and the wonderful staff of student media.”
PHOTO BY SHANNEN BROUNER Christopher Ramos reads his poem “Let me teach you, Mother” at the Northwest Passage release party.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR The following letter was submitted with the intention of informing students about the dangers of drug use and to meet probation requirements. Submitted by Nick [last name withheld] As everyone told you before you entered a University, you’re going to have multiple opportunities to experience new things. A lot of these experiences can be great and leave a positive outcome on your life, like trying out a new sport you end up falling in love with, or joining a club that interests you and making a handful of new friends. But, with the positive also comes the negative. New experiences usually come with the people you meet. Some of these people may not care about your well-being and may even just want your company. These people may introduce you to illicit substances, which can start you down a dangerous road. The obvious outcomes people usually consider are skipping class to get high and your grades lowering as a result. But illicit and even legal substances can leave you with a worse ending. The most popular drug that people use on a college campus is, more than likely, alcohol. Even this legal drug has awful consequences. Daily use can leave you with an addiction, an addiction that has the possibility to ruin your life. Even worse, an overdose of alcohol can end up ending your life. There’s no fixing a mistake when you’re already dead. But alcohol isn’t the only drug that people abuse. Anything from prescription medications to, the less likely, meth and heroin are taken. All of these drugs can land you with an addiction, in a jail-cell, or dead. A lot of students are also approached with the possibility of trying hallucinogenic drugs, and while these may be difficult to overdose on, death is still a possibility. While being completely different in a variety of ways, hallucinogenic substances are just as dangerous as other drugs. Anyone has the potential to lose total control of their mind and body while high on them. I mentioned it could happen to anyone, even those that have dabbled with the above-mentioned drugs. Full-blown psychosis has the potential to occur at any moment while on them and one could easily be arrested or killed while in this state. These drugs are much less predictable than others, and possibly even more danger-
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ous. This is what happened to me. Because I had taken LSD before, I thought I was familiar with the drug. I believed nothing bad could happen and I would enjoy myself. I couldn’t have been more wrong. During my experience I went into a psychotic state. I lost control of my mind and body, which is a horrifying experience. I ended up yelling down the streets about how everyone should take acid. I threw my glasses off my head and tore my shirt off my chest. I ended up outside the pub on Main Street on a weekday night. There were a lot of people there, and I was shouting vulgar things at everyone, and even grabbed a hold of the bartender who came outside to try and diffuse the situation. His attempt to get me to leave was nothing short of courageous. Dealing with someone literally out of their mind on drugs is an incredibly dangerous situation. The police were eventually called, and I wasn’t even aware they were on the scene. While they were in the process of putting me in their custody, I spit in a Monmouth officer’s face. After I was put in cuffs, I was then brought to a hospital where I came down off the LSD. I received the charges and in the end had to spend three horrible days in jail on a misdemeanor charge that was thankfully brought down from a felony. I’m currently on probation and still think about the situation some nights when I’m falling asleep. I made my future as a criminal justice major incredibly difficult as a result, and every day I wish I could take the choice I made back. There’s no legal or illegal drug that’s completely safe to use. Your mind and body can be seriously deteriorated with the use of drugs. Just remember that it’s true when people tell you that the habits you form early on construct you as a person in your later life. It’s more than beneficial to start forming positive habits for your well being as a person early on in life, or you could easily end up in a less-than desirable situation like I described.
CAMPUS BLOTTER Failure of Driver Duty, Hit & Run At 2:45 p.m. May 18, Campus Public Safety took a hit and run report from Parking Lot O.
Sprinkler Leak At 11:25 p.m. May 19, Campus Public Safety was contacted about a fire alarm in Rice Auditorium.
Informational At 3 p.m. May 25, Campus Public Safety was contacted regarding concerning comments that were made by a patron at the Hamersly Library.
Welfare Check At 4:55 a.m. May 21, Campus Public Safety was contacted to assist with a welfare check.
Corrections: • Kylie Roth’s pulquote concerning the Student Leadership Recognition awards ceremony should have read “it was a special and fun night.” In addition, her awards should have read “recipient of the Ambassador of the Year award along with Karl Amspacher, and a Who’s Who certificate.” • Staff photographer Olivia DeJanvier’s name was misspelled. • Last week’s Opinion article, “Ditch that winter weight and sculpt your body for summer 2015,” contained an error. The sentence should read “Unfortunately, fat is not the first stored tissue that our body chooses to use for fuel when sleeping.”
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