Confusion arises over current drug policy

The status of the drug policy and its enforcement is up in the air for some students

Resident Coordinators (RCs) and Oberlin Student Co-op Association (OSCA) Loose-Ends Coordinators (LECs) across campus are hearing concerns from students that Residential Life and Services is looking for RCs to get tougher in their enforcement of the drug policy as a result of a perceived change in drug policy since junior Matt Holford was evicted from South Hall for allegedly violating the drug policy in mid-March. (see story below)

Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk's record of drug policy enforcement in her time at Oberlin has raised student concern regarding her intent to restructure Oberlin's drug policy as part of overhauling the Student Regulations book. Some students are nervous about Cole-Newkirk's plans to update the policy.

Student senators were concerned about the drug policy and confused by it as well. They invited Cole-Newkirk on April 14 to discuss their concerns and to also listen to her explanations.

"The drug policy is a facet of a larger issue where Cole-Newkirk sees herself as some kind of socio-moral guide for the college," said Senator senior Chapin Benninghoff. "The old drug policy was fine because they didn't enforce it," added Benninghoff.

Cole-Newkirk said, about past drug policy enforcement on campus, "Many students didn't feel that anyone was doing anything to address the issue. Cole-Newkirk said those concerns were communicated to her before she arrived on-campus.

She said that her staff is still talking about possible changes in the drug policy for next year. She would not comment about any specifics concerning her plans to overhaul the Regs Book.

President Nancy Dye said, "I'm a little surprised the issue keeps coming up. Nobody's proposed any changes [to the drug policy]."

Dye said the questions to be discussed when the Regs Book is looked at are process issues. ""The processes are sometimes very unclear," she said.

Cole-Newkirk met with RCs and LECs to answer questions about the drug policy and its enforcement on April 17. Several RCs who attended the meeting said that after leaving the meeting, they were still confused about their role expectations. Cole-Newkirk said that she had asked at the end of the meeting if there were any more questions and no one responded. She also said she told RCs and LECs that they could sit down and talk to her at her office. According to Cole-Newkirk, no one took her up on the offer.

An RC who wished to remain anonymous said, concerning the seriousness of enforcement of the drug policy, "It depends on what you're measuring it against." According to the RC, the staff of residential Life is encouraging RCs to take their job seriously. "It is asking them (RCs) to sit down and evaluate themselves." the RC said.

Another RC who asked to remain anonymous, said, concerning the enforcement of the drug policy, "People are, in general, tightening up a lot for next year. There is talk about confiscating [drug paraphernalia] which is pretty new."

College sophomore Bonnie Solomon, who was an RC at Burton this year, said that if she was aware of residents abusing drugs, she would knock on their door, speak to the person in the room and state that his activities were in violation of the College policy and that they were infringing on other people's space. She said that she seldom has to be put in this position.

Soloman said, "I don't like to do it, but that's the part I get paid for."

Senator senior Noah Bopp felt that since the implementation of the smoking policy last school year, the enforcement of the drug policy has steadily become stricter.

Bopp was an RC during his sophomore and junior years. He said that during his first year as an RC, he and other RCs expected students in their respective halls to comply with the "don't be a butthead" rule, where residents are expected to respect their neighbors. He said that RCs would only interfere if people were violating this rule and bothering other residents in their hall.

Ted Carleton, a college first-year, said, "I think Res Life is pushing to make the RC position more of a policing position given the fact that proposed changes to the drug policy include providing RCs with the authority to confiscate both paraphernalia and illegal substances and to enter rooms without paying attention to the current policy."

O'Dhaniel Mullette-Gilman, a college sophomore and an RC in Dascomb Hall, said that he can't tell whether the college is becoming stricter or not. He said, "We aren't here to be a policeman. We are people to help other people's problems. We don't help people by losing their confidence."

East Hall Commons Coordinator Dianne Ripley said, "I saw that this year we're becoming more conscious of the problem here and expecting more enforcement of it."

Cole-Newkirk also discussed the drug policy with the Student Senate. Her main focus was a recently created drug policy task-force which includes student members. Cole-Newkirk asked Dye earlier this year to create a task-force to study different models of drug policies and then make recommendations.

Cole-Newkirk's creation of a task force to assess and restructure the drug policy will represent a forum for discussion on the issue.

Senator senior Noah Bopp asked Cole-Newkirk how she expects the drug policies to "shape up." In response, Cole-Newkirk said she wants to see the policies examined closely in order to find inconsistencies and redundancies.