RESIDENT LIFE WON'T EASE POT PENALTIES

Despite pleas from the RHA and SSDP, Resident Life Director Deb
Grandner said yesterday she won't reduce penalties for smoking marijuana.

Grandner said, however, talks with both organizations have elicited
more sympathy from her, and she plans to examine those appeals from
students who are caught with drugs more closely than those who receive
other RHA violations.

"We want to look at individual circumstances so that, on appeal, that
person might be allowed to stay here," Grandner said.

The decision comes after the RHA passed a resolution in February
recommending reduced punishments compared with the current drug
policy, which results in immediate housing termination for residents
who are caught with marijuana in their rooms. A coalition of students
has gathered throughout the year in support of the resolution,
including members of the Student Government Association and Students
for a Sensible Drug Policy.

Grandner says that a reduction in consequences for marijuana
possession as a safety risk. She also says she fears that it would
result in guns in dorms and drug dealers on the campus.

"My primary role is protecting the community," Grandner said. "The
teaching part is secondary to that. It's not that I'm saying that
people who try marijuana are bad people, because they are not. We've
got this crime on the periphery of campus and I want to keep it that
way."

RHA President-elect Sumner Handy was disappointed, saying he wanted to
see more concrete changes in actual policy after a year of advocacy on
the issue.

"I hoped for more," Handy said. "I hoped to see a policy change. I
wanted more than a look at second chances. I really wanted to see
something in writing"

Though RHA has no official plans to continue to advocate for change in
the marijuana policy, Handy said he was sure that it would remain an
issue for the organization.

Grandner said a decrease in the severity of the consequences will send
the wrong message to students.

"I struggle with a change in policy, because I like the message to be
strong," Grandner said. "I don't want drugs on campus. I want to
discourage drug use."

According to Grandner, with three incidents of possession of less than
one ounce of marijuana without use in the 2004-2005 school year, five
in 2005-2006, and one incident in the fall 2006, the number of
students who could potentially stand to benefit from a change in the
policy is slim. Grandner questioned whether to change the policy when
such a small group of people would be affected.

Grandner agreed with the RHA, however, to implement mixed-sex housing
in some University Courtyards and South Campus Commons apartments for
a one-year trial period. The RHA passed a resolution suggesting that
she do so earlier this semester in hopes that the system would
eventually be implemented permanently.

Grander said she came to the decision after examining mixed-sex
housing programs in other universities across the country, which have
been largely successful, even reducing the number of arguments between
residents.

The pilot would use apartments with four rooms and four private
bathrooms in the Courtyards or apartments with four beds and two
bathrooms in the South Campus Commons. The RHA and Grandner will work
through the details over the summer and next year. They plan to begin
the program in fall 2008.

Participation in the program will be voluntary, and it is undecided
how many people will participate in the trial.

Grandner's only concern is public reaction, after already having
received a complaint from a parent.

"I think we will get mixed reactions," Grandner said. "There are a
number of people who will feel that this is too liberal and, also,
people who will think it is very reasonable. I think we will draw some
public attention. We'll see where it goes."

After working on putting this plan in place for three years, Mike
LaBattaglia and other RHA members are pleased that Grandner agreed.

"It is very rewarding and very reassuring to see that this went
through successfully," LaBattaglia said. "It was also nice for me
because I'm about ready to leave the organization. It left a really
good feeling with me that I was able to see things accomplished within
my tenure at RHA."