NOT JUST 'GETTING STONED DAY'

The war on drugs doesn't just affect the users and dealers. It takes money
away from students who need financial aid.

Campus activist Dustin Craun and Hip Hop Congress are holding an event
called "Damn the Drug War" at the UMC Fountain today at 5 p.m. This event
is part of the Fourth Annual Hip Hop Congress Awareness Week: Respect the
Culture.

"Basically it's an event that happened to fall on the week on 4/20. As
people who are Hip-Hoppers, the drug war has greatly affected our
community, being that there's 1.2 million people in jail in the United
States from drug offenses; 80 percent of those being people of color," said
Craun.

Masta Ace, a hip hop artist from Brooklyn, N.Y. will perform, followed by
political discussions about the effects of the drug war.

The group is most concerned with a recent statement by the CU's
chancellor's office that "Student Code violations regarding the use of
illegal drugs, such as marijuana, are handled similarly to alcohol
violations. Violators also may be subject to federal regulations concerning
drug penalties and potential loss of financial aid." This means drug
offenses, like smoking pot, can be counted as a strike on a student's
record. After a student racks up two strikes, he or she can be suspended
from school.

"We wanted to bring to the students awareness that they need to be real
careful that the University is seriously thinking about cracking down (on
4/20), because if you have more than one drug offense, you basically cannot
get financial aid," said Craun. "Because the U.S. government has classist
policies that would affect poor people who get drug convictions."

The week of events was planned three months ago, and just happened to fall
on April 20, a kind of holiday for people who enjoy smoking marijuana.

"You cannot have 4/20 without thinking of what the drug war does to people
in this country and throughout the world," said Craun. "This is a much
bigger thing than 'Getting Stoned Day.'"

Other Hip Hop Congress Awareness Week events will take on Friday, April 22,
8 p.m. UMC 235, Caf/ Nuba: Revolutionary Curse Words. There will be an
independent hip hop film, art shows and poetry. For additional information
about Hip Hop Congress Awareness Week, contact Dustin Craun at
craund@gmail.com.