STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE DRUG TEST IN APPLICATIONS

Can't go far without seeing "Nickel and Dimed," and this commentary isn't
an Ehrenreich-free zone, either.

A professor of mine shocked the class on the first day by administering a
mock drug test. He didn't tell us about the "mock" part until we were all
crammed into the guys' bathroom. The ordeal got me thinking.

If key components of hiring, firing and retaining of employment are drug
tests, then why not include a urine specimen with college applications? I
don't think I'm crazy, but feel free to read on.

A record number of athletes at Appalachian State University tested positive
for banned substances last year. If drugs keep a person from competing in a
sport they love, then why do they not prevent higher learning as well? I've
heard rumors of folks going to class drunk, high or "rollin'." There are
2,400 new freshmen on campus, and no more room for people who aren't
serious about college. If our athletes are big drug users according to a
random sample, then imagine how stoned the general population must be!
Where's the NCAA-type governing body for academics, telling students they
have to adhere to their guidelines in order to keep going to class?

I'm positive (no pun intended) that conditional and continuing enrollment
based on random drug testing would help our overcrowding problem at
Appalachian. Then there's the faculty and staff.

That's right, test 'em all! I doubt the chancellor search committee has
thought about administering drug tests to its potential selections. Surely
one non-student at the university is a "user." Maybe the tech support
people should be tested first. Or Parking & Traffic employees.

Why, Will? What do you have against drug users? It's nothing personal.
Drugs are one of the least gainful things to use "recreationally," but I
can't make decisions for people. The beef I do have, like I mentioned, is
the double standard held to athletes and students when it comes to drug
testing.

Basically, college should prepare us for "the real world." Drug testing is
a huge part of "the real world" these days, so let's include it with our
applications and registration. It's not personal, it's almost economical.

We have "housing deficits" because of all the people coming into
Appalachian. The demand for enrollment at Appalachian is growing. Our
supply of housing is down because of the "necessary" renovations to one
residence hall each year. Tuition should rise, or enrollment should drop.
Since the state requires Appalachian to expand to a certain size, tuition
needs a hike. It wouldn't be a popular decision, but a necessary one,
especially since parking ticket revenues are no more.

Of course, raising tuition isn't the only option. A deterrent drug testing
policy would cut the number of applicants and expel a small, less
productive portion of the student body.

Call me narrow-minded, but I think drug users aren't productive. I do think
a drug testing program would be productive, both for Appalachian's
reputation and our financial situation.