Alcohol and Marijuana @ LSC

2/7/08

By Amanda Wozniak
Special to the Critic

A LSC student was recently arrested for ‘the consumption of alcohol by a minor.’ Vermont State Police cited Michael Robbins, 18, as intoxicated at LSC on Jan. 23, he is now scheduled to appear in court. He subsequently withdrew from the college.

College students are known for partying, drinking, and doing drugs. Are these factors affecting their ability to succeed in college?

Based on the number of documented alcohol incidents on campus last year, “Alcohol use and abuse still remains as the largest problem that we face here at LSC,” Jonathan Davis, Interim Associate Dean of Student Affairs said. “Marijuana and Alcohol use and abuse are problems for all college campuses in the United States and LSC is not immune to this issue,” Davis said. Prescription drug abuse is also a rising problem for college campuses.

Three LSC students, who will remain anonymous, shared their thoughts on the topic.

One LSC senior that recently quit drinking said when he drank he missed too many of his morning classes. By missing the classes he got behind and when he did make it he was too hung over to pay attention.

He admitted that he smokes marijuana regularly. He also said that it helps him focus.

“Smoking pot doesn’t have the lasting affects on you and you don’t feel bad in the morning,” he said. “I don’t think that smoking [marijuana] affects my ability to do good in school.”

An LSC junior said that her drinking habits are what keep her at LSC. “I drink on the weekends,” she said.

If she quit drinking all together she said she wouldn’t be going to Lyndon. She also thinks her grades would improve.

“Using any substance sort of determines what crowd you hang out with,” she said. “The rowdy drunks tend to not have the best grades.”

One LSC graduate said his drinking did not affect his classes.

“I drank more often than I smoked [marijuana],” the former student said. “When I was in school we drank at the bars during the week and had parties on the weekends. Sometimes we’d smoke pot too.”

The former student said he graduated with a B average.

“I was tired a lot and probably wasn’t very healthy but it was worth it,” he said. “I’m not an advocate of drinking heavily. I think it takes a certain responsibility to not let your personal life interfere with your schooling, especially since it isn’t free.”

“Alcohol and marijuana just cannot be considered enhancing drugs and they do not contribute to student success,” Donna Dalton, Dean of Academic and Student Affairs said. The administrator said that these substances are not conducive to clear thinking and may cause difficulty remembering and completing assignments. “There is no doubt that substance use and abuse affects a person’s performance in all kinds of activities of daily living, including those activities related to being a successful student,” Dalton said.