Mirror - Vol. 36, No. 13 - December 08, 2010

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Week of Dec. 9, 2009 | Vol. 35, to. 13
-fairfieldmirror.com •
Independent Student Newspaper
of Fairfield University
The Reflection of Fairfield
Photo Illustration By Daniel Leltao Prescribed Cheating: t^
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BY LAURA O'REILLY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It's the day before the exam that counts for half ofyour
final grade, the hours are ticking away, and the cubicles in
DiMenna feel like your own personal prison cell. Instead of
focusing on the words in your textbook, all you hear is the
same Taylor Swift song blasting from the headphones of a
girl sitting across from you.
But there's hope. Jumping out of your seat, the solution
to all your worries awaits you at the bottom of the staircase.
No, it's not another cup of coffee from the Chef's Table, but
your friend who conveniently has attention deficit disorder
(commonly known as ADD) and a few spare pills to share
from the month.
With the pressures of finals week fast approaching, it is
no surprise to hear that many college students illegally turn
to prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin to
aid their studies.
As college students become more dependent on these
types of drugs, what does it mean for the future of academ-ics?
Should the illegal use of these drugs be considered a
form of cheating, calling for punishment by the University?
Wesleyan University has moved in this direction. Should
Fairfield?
The History ofAdderall and Ritalin Abuse
The illegal use of these drugs on college campuses is
not a new occurrence. The Mirror has covered its growing
popularity on the Fairfield University campus for years.
A 2004 article explains the accessibility of the drug.
One student said "I take Adderall as often as I can get it, and
almost everyone I live with takes it for some purpose."
An article from the following year describes a student
that was legally prescribed Ritalin and considered it a "bur-den"
because so many friends would ask to buy it from her.
She also said that she once had about 25 Ritalin pills stolen
from her.
In 2009, an article explained how Adderall was found
to not only be used by students on campus as a "study drug"
but also as a weight loss pill.
This is not just a problem centered at Fairfield. Na-tionwide,
college newspapers are reporting the illegal use
of drugs like Adderall or Ritalin to aid studies. In the past
few years Boston College, Santa Clara University, University
of Delaware, Trinity College, and most recently Wesleyan
University are just a few of the schools whose newspapers
have featured stories on these "study drugs"
Usage on College Campuses
According to a 2009 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health performed by an agency of the Department of
Health and Human Services, full-time college students aged
18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were
not full-time college students to have used Adderall illegally
in the past year.
The study also found that college students who use Ad-derall
illegally are three times as likely as those who do not
use the drug to have used marijuana in the past year and
eight times as likely to use cocaine in the past year.
According to a survey taken by 20 Fairfield University
students, 55 percent said that they have taken a prescription
drug like Adderall or Ritalin before. Out of these students,
47 percent take the drugs illegally, either by purchasing
them or getting them for free from a friend. 33 percent of the
students rely on the drug at least once or twice a week.
A freshman male said that the drug is very easy to get if
you know someone. He said "within the first week [of com-ing
to Fairfield University] I knew kids who would sell them
to me. I have nothing against it.
The Ethical Debate
The growing demand on college campuses for these
"study drugs" has made many people wonder whether it
gives the illegal user an unfair advantage over the non-user.
According to The Middletown Press, Wesleyan Uni-versity,
located only about 50 miles away from Fairfield in
Middletown, Conn., has taken a stand to combat the illegal
use of these prescribed drugs. The administration has modi-fied
its student code of conduct because the use of the drug
may be enhancing the student's performance, therefore
violating the University's honor code that states that all work
must be completed "without improper assistance."
Wesleyan's student newspaper,
The Wesleyan Argus, reports that
many members of the student body
were curious about the
misuse of prescription
drugs in regard to
studying. The Dean
is quoted saying
that "most students
with whom I've
discussed the issue
feel that it is a
form of cheating."
A sophomore
male at- PILL I PAGE 6
Marijuana
Write-Ups Spike
BY LOAN LE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Pot, weed, grass—call it what you want, but marijuana
still remains as the world's most commonly used illicit drug.
The frequent arrests at Fairfield University regarding the us-age
or possession of marijuana raise concern on campus.
In the month of November alone, there was an alarm-ingly
high number of incidents involving marijuana. The
Department of Public Safety shows that in the academic
year of 2008-2009, approximately 30 drug related incidents
had occurred, and 39 in the 2009-2010 year. Around 10 cases
involving marijuana have been documented in December
so far.
There are various ways in which the Department of
Public Safety comes across these incidents. The Residential
Assistant (RA) might call about suspicious odors or activities,
or things found during inspections. Officers or students can
come across any suspicious activity and notify the depart-ment.
Though Public Safety does not directly confiscate the
marijuana and/or drugs, they have a procedure that involves
notifying the Fairfield County Police of the drug related
incidents.
The problem of marijuana on the campus is not an iso-lated
incident, as it also reflects the situation in other United
States college campuses.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, preven-tion
professionals report concern because marijuana may
act as a 'gateway' drug, serving as an introduction to the
'drug scene' and additional types of drug use." In addition,
marijuana inhibits a person's attention, memory and learn-ing.
Proposition 19, which called for the legalization of mari-juana
for anyone older than 21 years old, was overturned in
Congress in the beginning of
November. It also would have MARIJUANA | PAGE 5
DPS Cracks
Down on Alcohol
BY GEORGIA LORB
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In 2006, there were 756 alcohol-related write-ups at
Fairfield University. In 2007,900. After a record high in
2008, we're down to 1076 in the 2009 academic year.
Fairfield isn't alone. A 2005 article in the New York
Times said that since the 1990's, alcohol arrests on campuses
have increased by startling percentages.
It's no doubt that students drink illegally at Fairfield.
Despite the hundreds of citations, the average dorm,
townhouse or apartment on campus has beer, vodka, or
some kind of alcohol (maybe even wine for the classiest of
students) in the fridge.
But the Times article suggests that increase in write-ups
such as Fairfield's might not be due to an increase in
consumption of alcohol. "As in past years," says the article,
"college law enforcement officials and administrators have
attributed the rise to aggressive enforcement policies rather
than to more use of drugs and alcohol."
The Jeanne Cleary Crime Report for Fairfield Univer-sity
cites that in the academic year 2009, an astonishing 95
percent of the disciplinary referrals on campus were alcohol
related. A Dean of Students, Kim Nikolenko, confirms this.
"A majority of the students we see have documentations
related to alcohol."
That is to say it's hardly that more students are drinking.
It's just that more are getting Caught.
In terms of measuring ALCOHOL | PAGE 5
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