Posted by The Editorial Board
The onset of spring brings excitement to the student body not only because of the warm weather after a dreary and prolonged winter but also the occurrence of events like Fun Day and Earth Day, the latter which will be celebrated on 4/20 this year. While these events are part of Skidmore's traditions and are two of the more enjoyable events of the semester, they also often serve as an impetus for drug and alcohol abuse .
As these events approach we should consider the substance abuse that has occurred in the past during these events and more recently in our community. Furthermore, we need to consider what we want these approaching events to look like and how we want them to reflect on ourselves and our college.
Last weekend there were seven reported alcohol and drug related hospitalizations, a large spike from normality. The causes of these occurrences can be attributed to a variety of factors: the "Big Show," where The Dirty Projectors played, the warm weather of spring, or even "senioritis." While last weekend was an unfortunate semester low-point as far as substance-abuse goes, it raises greater concern for what may occur in the next few weeks as we approach highly anticipated events like Fun Day, Earth Day and Spring Fling. In an email sent to students earlier this week, the Dean of Student Affairs, Rochelle Calhoun, spoke specifically of 4/20, a day widely recognized as a celebration of cannabis, and admonished students of the consequences of being caught in possession of illicit substances.
This year's 4/20 marks the four-year anniversary of the marijuana-related imbroglio which was photographed and reported by The Saratogian and consequentially skyrocketed Skidmore to No.2 on the Princeton Review's Reefer Madness list. Currently, Skidmore sits at No.4 and the College is working hard to shed this "druggy" reputation.
This newspaper doesn't delude itself into suggesting that student's remain law-abiding, but that they consider the potential ramifications of their decisions. As Calhoun pointed out in her email, "even when we do not intend it--we represent the communities to which we belong. As student members of the Skidmore College, your actions will always represent the entire student body."
Specifically, this newspaper asks that students be safe. That is, of course, the primary concern. But we also ask that students remain conscious -- in all possible interpretations of the word -- of the impact of their decisions and how their actions will reflect Skidmore.
Fall Fun Day was a deemed a success, and there is no reason why the upcoming events shouldn't either. As long as students don't embarrass themselves, they won't embarrass the school.
Enjoy the upcoming events, it has been a long winter and the student body certainly needs these times to unwind and relax as the final onslaught of work approaches before finals. But be responsible, and hopefully Skidmore can see itself fall back a few slots in next year's Princeton Review list. There is really no good reason why the College is 11 places ahead of the University of Vermont in the Princeton Review's reefer madness rankings.