<p>I assume there is drug use at all colleges to some degree, just as every college administration says that theirs is a "dry" campus or at least there is no underage drinking when that clearly isn't the case (with the possible exception of Bob Jones U.). But we were taken aback when we visited Goucher this month and, while on the tour, we picked up what appeared to be an issue of the school paper from the end of the spring semester. It had a feature on heroin use at Goucher ("Shooting Up: The Reality of Drugs on Campus", The Quindecim, May 3, 2006). The writer, who had a "small, manageable cocaine habit" herself (delusional), befriended another student with a heroin habit. Apparently, in an attempt to help him quit, she became a user herself.(?) (very, very delusional) From Goucher's standpoint, the only positive aspect that I took away from the article was that intervention was initiated by fellow students who recognized the problem. But the writer went on to slide through rehab without staying clean and subsequently OD'd with a near death experience. </p>
<p>I can tell you, as a parent taking a prospective student around to look at colleges, that didn't leave me with a good feeling about Goucher. I am not happy about substance abuse at any age but there is a world of difference between a college student rolling a fat one on the weekend and nodding off every day in class after shooting up. Is this an isolated incident at Goucher or are we supposed to assume it is a common occurence? And what does it say about the quality of people attending the school? We were left with decidedly mixed messages and, Admissions Officeers take note, mixed messages are not what potential applicants are looking for.</p>
<p>For some it is a common occurence, not only at Goucher but at any school, for others it will never happen. I do not know if Goucher has a bigger drug culture then other schools but when I read the article it did not impact my thoughts on the school at all. Drinking and drugs are everywhere and my D has been told how destructive they can be. I do not expect to steer her away from a school because of one student.</p>
<p>"I do not expect to steer her away from a school because of one student."</p>
<p>Well, it's at least two students at a small school (1350 enrollment). And it's a school newspaper that presents the story of one of them in a sympathetic or at least uncritical light and fails to make any editorial comment about the "small, manageable cocaine habit" (no such thing) or about using shared needles for IV drug use, a really stupid idea with potentially life threatening consequences that has been recognized as such for 20 years. No judgements are allowed because everyone is a victim, I suppose.</p>
<p>Sorry, but when it comes to substance abuse the argument that "it happens at every school so it's not a problem" carries as much water with me as administrators' statements that "nobody does it, the problem doesn't exist".</p>
<p>You seem very misguided. I read the entire article and it is STRONGLY anti-drug. The entire last page is about how dope causes so much pain and should be avoided.
This article actually does not mention Goucher's wider drug "problem" (if one exists) at all. One student in a darkroom and one other girl do not constitute rampant drug use at Goucher. Actually, this is a great article because it shows that Goucher's student newspaper is willing to come out with a compelling anti-drug message that is sincere.</p>
<p>If you actually read the article, the girl says she HAD a "manageable coke habit." What do you expect from a junkie, anyway? I think the NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE and her MAJOR warning to stay away from dope at the end of the article are WAY more powerful than one ambiguous sentence from a junkie in rehab. Her story is very useful. </p>
<p>And if you think 2 students out of a total of 1350 constitutes an unusually large drug culture, you're mistaken. 2 students is too much, obviously--we don't want anyone using those substances. But the story of 1 sincere student is not indicative of a wider campus habit. Her story did not include any analysis of the wider drug culture of Goucher--it was a personal story with a provocative headline. You fell for it.</p>
<p>(If I seem too vehement...No, I do not go to Goucher, I never went, I never will, and neither will anyone I know.)</p>
<p>the main artilce being referenced was written in the first person by the student who ended up od'ing. the intro to the article however does refer to the growing drug problem both nationwide AND at Goucher, but offers no details as to what that means. was it an attention getter tying campus to a nationwide problem? or was it really talking about a real problem? it would be nice if someone at goucher could answer here.
maybe when publication resume in the fall, there will be some student response to this article in the campus paper -- i belive the article appeared in the last issue in the spring.</p>
<p>That is correct the article was in the papers last edition. I do not believe for one minute that because a student writes a first hand account about their drug problem that is a reflection of the school. I have first hand experience with excessive drinking at college and can guarantee that booze is a far larger problem then heroin. The number of kids who think they can drink and drive is a far greater concern.</p>
<p>I truly believe that some of the articles written in this paper try to educate through "shock value" and "tongue in cheek" humor. When we came for admitted students's day in the spring, my husband picked up a recent paper with an article written by a female student about MySpace use, which was very descriptive of her wild personal life at Goucher. My daughter and her close friend from high school are now freshmen at Goucher (they arrived early with the athletes and dancers), and I don't get the feeling that drug use (or even alcohol use) is a big problem on this campus.</p>
<p>merlyinphillie - thanks for the feedback! its so good to hear -- though it is early in your daughter's tenure there. i'm sure i speak for all of us who have a child considering goucher when i ask if you could touch base with us in a couple of months and let us know if this feeling continues? there was so much to really like about goucher, i would love to not have to worry about this issue! thanks again.</p>
<p>On second thought, after reading this article in the student-run newspaper, I now feel that this could be a true story of an individual student who was interviewed for this article. However, I do not see that heroin or excessive drug use is a major or serious problem at this campus - I'm sure that there is some underage drinking going on, as on most other undergrad campuses - I'll keep you informed from news from my daughter and friend who are currently freshmen-they both detest drug use (even smoking cigarettes!) so I'm sure they will let me know about whether this a major concern. I do know that Goucher administration has very stict rules about illegal drug use as well as alcohol use for those under 21</p>
<p>merlyinphillie- I look forward to your reports. My D has fallen in love with Goucher and the Inner Harbor and we have been following as many reports on the school as we could find. My D has similar stats (if I recall correctly) to your D and similar interests so we have followed your posting. I am glad you will continue to post.</p>
<p>"I do not see that heroin or excessive drug use is a major or serious problem at this campus - I'm sure that there is some underage drinking going on, as on most other undergrad campuses"</p>
<p>Campus Security reports 1 arrest on campus for a violation of the school's alcohol policy in the last three years. Only one? I am sure that is an example of under reporting or lax enforcement, which I don't think is unique to Goucher. At the same time, they report 68 drug violations.
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/eot26%5B/url%5D">http://tinyurl.com/eot26</a>
Personally I find it very difficult to make much of these numbers without some sort of context (size of school, location, were the parties involved students or visitors/townies, etc.). Comparisons with other schools can be even more difficult.</p>
<p>I have just read through these posts and would love to hear an update from Merly. My D is a junior and we are planning to visit Goucher, along with several other LAC's, during her spring break in March.</p>
<p>Her academic interests are studio art and biology/botany/environmental science. She is a vegetarian, loves horses, and she has recently decided that her political orientation is libertarian. </p>
<p>I look forward to hearing how this year is going---</p>
<p>My D looked at Goucher last year, but didn't end up applying there. She was disappointed in the number of foreign language courses offered there, but otherwise, it seemed like a very good school.</p>
<p>Hi all. My daughter is in her second semester of her sophomore year at Goucher and we keep in pretty close touch. I do not see this as a problem at all for her and her friends. Yes, there are drugs at Goucher. Probably more pot than alcohol, which is not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. There are drugs and experimentation everywhere, but one thing there is NOT at Goucher is the peer pressure to do that to fit in. Goucher is very very individual and there is little criticism of you if you do not fit the "mold". Most of the students who go there have the self esteem and self confidence in themselves as individuals to not feel the need to succumb to this. That being said, anyone who is sending a kid off to college has to expect they are going to get involved in partying a bit. The best way to keep this to a minimum is to play a sport (especially that competes on Sat, so the Friday night partying is out of the question) or be involved in activities and engaged in the college. As far as my experience with my daughter and her friends at other schools, Goucher is much less a party/drug school than the average campus.</p>
<p>To dg5052: My daughter has been having a great year so far at Goucher. She had been involved in the varsity volleyball team which lasted almost the entire first semester, and had made some nice friends. This semester she is looking into joining some other clubs/activities on campus. She has gone off campus several times into the Baltimore Inner Harbor with her roommate and friends, went to the movies in Towson, dinner out, and bowling. There have been on-campus parties in dorms, as well as off-campus in the college-owned Dulaney apartments across from the main campus. The only drug use she has witnessed has been marijuana, which she stays away from. She told me there is no peer pressure to use drugs or alcohol, but I do know she told me that there is more drinking than drug use there. However, it really is not a big party school.
She loves her courses this semester, and had received fairly good grades for her first semester's courses (3.7 gpa). If you have any other questions, let me know!</p>
<p>Merly, thanks for these words. We will be visiting Goucher in early April. What area is your daughter planning to major in? Any comments on what course she likes best?</p>
<p>Although she is currently undecided, she may be majoring in psychology or communications/journalism, or may double major in these areas. She has enjoyed most of her classes so far, especially the Frontiers course (required for Freshmen), her English, Spanish and Intro. to Psych. This semester she is continuing her int. Spanish, English 105, Intro. to Communications, Theater (Acting)-she particularly likes this one!, and Psych. lab.</p>