EVERGREEN'S CULTURE DRAWS DUBIOUS RAVE

High Times magazine finds much to extol at state college

Find High Times magazine online at www.hightimes.com

High Times magazine, which caters to marijuana users, has named The
Evergreen State College in Olympia as the top "counterculture college" in
the United States in its October issue, already on newsstands.

The magazine doesn't list any scientific research methods used to arrive at
its choice of colleges. But in his letter to readers, Editor-in-chief Steven
Hager said he and two other staffers "spent several weeks mulling over the
possibilities and formulating a responsible approach," and ultimately "sat
down and worked out a top 10 list."

In a phone interview from his New York office, Hager said each staff member
came up with his own criteria, did independent research and then the three
met and decided on the list.

He said the goal was never to find the schools friendliest to marijuana
users.

"We were looking for quality education at different price ranges. We were
looking for a local counterculture community. We're not looking for party
schools," Hager said. "If a school had a reputation for letting people slide
academically, they weren't put on the list."

Hager said the magazine also wanted to ensure that the schools were not
"overly aggressive" in arresting marijuana users, at least no more so than
alcohol users. And staffers called college officials to verify drug arrests
and other statistics, Hager said.

Campus reaction

College officials as well as some students interviewed on campus Tuesday
were not enthusiastic about the ranking, saying they fear it will perpetuate
existing negative stereotypes about Evergreen students.

They said they question the magazine's methodology for ranking the colleges
and wondered whether it was a fair assessment.

"I don't think (marijuana use) happens here anymore than it happens anywhere
else," said Tommy Daigle, a second-year student. "You also have to consider
the source. Nobody cares what they say in that magazine."

It's not the first time Evergreen has received national recognition. U.S.
News and World Report magazine has several times named the school among the
top public liberal arts colleges.

In July, "The Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the 320 Most
Interesting Colleges," published by Kaplan Inc. and Simon & Schuster, listed
Evergreen as one of 30 "hidden treasures" that deserve more recognition.

Art Costantino, vice president for student affairs, said that while he
appreciated that High Times noted the interdisciplinary academic approach
used at Evergreen, he wondered if the publicity would do more harm than good
to the college.

"I think they do a lot of stereotyping, and the ranking is not data-driven,"
he said. "It doesn't sound like they did any real surveying and that's
problematic. The stereotypes are unfair to our students."

From the article

The article, written by Chris Simunek, the magazine's cultivation editor,
reads:

"I asked a few kids I'd met to estimate what percentage of Evergreen
students smoked pot, and most answered somewhere in the 80 percent range.
Given the surroundings, it just makes sense. There are no frats and few
sports, so the bonehead scene is thankfully kept to a minimum."

Jason Kilmer, who works as the addictive behavior specialist at the
counseling center, said he's not surprised by those students' estimates of
drug use on campus, even if they don't reflect what he knows about it.

"The data we have do not support that," he said. "There's literally a huge
percentage of people who report no use at all."

Research that Kilmer has studied -- put out by scientific journals and
researchers from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York state --
point to an overestimation of drug use among college students. Their
research also states that students' own perceptions about drug use could be
a contributing factor in drug use.

Kilmer and others are now preparing to put in place a campaign at the
college to give students information on actual drug use on campus to do away
with misconceptions and perhaps prevent further use, he said.

The specific numbers about actual use are not yet available, he said.

Campus police officials, however, said they believe drug-related arrests on
campus are not out of the ordinary. In 1999, 24 students were arrested on
drug-related charges; 14 were arrested in 2000 and 23 in 2001.

In addition, there were 24 alcohol-related arrests in 1999, 60 in 2000 and
77 in 2001.

"I think most colleges, given the age group, are dealing with problems
related to drug and alcohol use among students," Costantino said. "My fear
is that this article makes it seem like a bigger problem -- something
different than anywhere else -- is happening here."

Sophia Spiker, a second-year Evergreen student, believes Evergreen students
might be more accepting of those who use marijuana.

"It's more liberal overall than other colleges," she said. "But it doesn't
mean it's happening more."

Ben Riippi, an incoming freshman, said he isn't concerned about the ranking.

"The college is really good about getting students focused on their studies
and the professors are very friendly," he said. "To me, that's what's
important."