Viewpoints: Think About It

"I consider myself to be a 'B' student. I know in my heart that if I never started smoking pot I would be an 'A' student. These are things that marijuana users begin to make excuses for. They will convince themselves that being a 'B' or even a 'C' student is good enough. They will also assure themselves that their ambitions are still there and their motivation is still driven. Yet, their assignments are still late, their test scores are still low, and their rent and bills are not paid on time. Marijuana users come to terms with being average. What they're not realizing is that every day they're lowering the standard for what is called average. That's the only way to continue to use and feel good about it." - Written by a PSU student/past marijuana user: " What are your standards?"

"After we drink we usually spend the next day recovering, usually getting together the next day to watch football and remind each other of what we did the night before. We all laugh, and it sounds funny in the right context, but I know when I go home alone after hanging out with my friends...I usually feel guilty and regretful, and I imagine it's the same with a lot of people." -PSU student: "What do you feel after a night of drinking?"

"Perhaps my thinking of taking the [property that belonged to the college] was along the lines of no one person owns this so it is no big deal. I would never steal anything that belonged to someone. Albeit, I still stole something that did belong to someone, but to a larger group; the students." -PSU student

"Many college students brag about how much alcohol they can consume in one sitting. If pride is felt in drinking large quantities, is pride still felt later when their heads are in the toilet?" -PSU student: "How Proud are you?"

"The use of alcohol is not something that should be looked up to or held in high regards. In fact, I notice that when I see others drinking they often look ridiculous. There is nothing that is more of a turn off than seeing a girl who is sloppy drunk. Intoxicated kids can't even tell how stupid they look." -PSU student: "What do you look like when you drink?"

"In high school it seemed like every kid in my town would go into the woods every weekend and get drunk. It didn't matter if you were a senior or a freshman, a nerd or a jock. Looking back on it I feel pretty ashamed. I mean we were teenage kids and we couldn't find anything else more constructive to do with our time, it was pathetic." -PSU student: "How are you spending your time now that you're in college?"

"The only thing my mother said to me after I told her I was arrested for alcohol was 'we sent you to college to learn this?', in the most disappointed voice I've ever heard." -PSU student: "What words do you want to hear from those that care about you?"

"...what I learned the most is that I need to grow up a lot and understand that by acting stupid like that I deserve to get in trouble." -PSU student

"...if I am going to participate in illegal activities I have to be ready to deal with the consequences of my actions." -PSU student: "Are you ready to take the consequences?"

"The affect on the students is that it makes the whole PSU student body look bad whenever anybody gets in trouble." -PSU student: "What affect do your actions have on the PSU student body?"

"Foremost, it wasn't my actions but my inaction that was most inappropriate. I knew in my heart that what was going on was wrong, yet I did nothing to stop it." -PSU student on involvement in hazing incident: "Have you stopped it?"

"I came to the conclusion that these types of acts are juvenile. This was awake up call. I'm a college student and having that status, people and society expect more maturity out of me." -PSU student: "How mature are you?"

"Acting as an adult in society means that you take responsibility for your own actions." -Member of PSU community; In the United States a person is considered an adult at the age of 18: "How old are you?"

From Reflections, submitted by Judicial Programs