Marijuana and more - - notes from our vist to Hamp

Colleges and Universities A-Z Hampshire College
81

<p>Here were the dorm hall classifications for the 2010-11 academic year:</p>

<p>All residences are co-ed unless otherwise stated. Mods and Dorm halls are classified by noise level and themes.</p>

<p>Noise level classifications are semi-quiet (SQ), quiet (Q), and very quiet (VQ). Semi-quiet can be… semi-quiet to downright loud, depending on who lives there. Quiet is usually a combo hall of quieter kids and louder kids, and is the easiest kind of hall to work on if you like some socialization but don’t want to be partying 24/7. Very quiet is only on a few halls, such as G4 (a/k/a “the Morgue”). </p>

<p>Themed Dorm Halls: Substance-Free (SF), Allergen-Reduced (AR), Gamer (G), International (I), Women’s (W), Study Intensive (SI), Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Friendly (QF), Transfer Students (T). If you live on the Gamer hall, expect your lounge to be taken over with game systems and controllers. Residents living on substance-free halls must sign a contract that they will not bring drugs or alcohol onto the hall nor come onto the hall when intoxicated. Allergen-reduced housing is for those who either have a lot of allergies/medical problems, or those who don’t want to deal with excessive scents and smells.</p>

<p>Dakin House (Letter = dorm section, Number = floor level, B=basement)</p>

<p>D1=SQ/SF<br>
D2=Q/SF<br>
D3=SQ<br>
D4=Q/W </p>

<p>E1=SQ<br>
E2=SQ<br>
E3=Q<br>
E4=Q</p>

<p>F1=Q<br>
F2=SQ/QF<br>
F3=Q/T<br>
F4=Q/SF</p>

<p>G1=SQ<br>
G2=Q/G<br>
G3=Q<br>
G4=VQ/SI</p>

<p>HB=VQ<br>
H1=SQ/I<br>
H2=Q/G<br>
H3=VQ</p>

<p>JB=Q<br>
J1=Q<br>
J2=SQ/SF<br>
J3=SQ</p>

<p>K1=SQ<br>
K2=Q/SF<br>
K3=SQ</p>

<p>Merrill House<br>
(Letter = dorm section, number = floor level, L=long section of hall, S= short section of hall)</p>

<p>A1S & A1L=SQ<br>
A2S& A2L=SQ
A3S & A3L=SQ<br>
A4S & A4L=SQ</p>

<p>BBL=VQ/SF<br>
B1S=SQ/W; B1L=SQ<br>
B2S & B2L=SQ<br>
B3S & B3L=SQ<br>
B4S & B4L=SQ</p>

<p>CBL & CBS=VQ/SF<br>
C1S=Q; C1L=SQ<br>
C2S=VQ/W; C2L=Q
C3S=VQ; C3L=Q<br>
C4S=SQ; C4L=Q</p>

82

<p>It looks like Hamphire intends to address the substance use/abuse issue with new students during the Fall orientation. Here is a session that is being held:</p>

<p>"Hampshire Drug Culture: Questions, Concerns, Sub-free Spaces, & Strategies for a Happy Halloween</p>

<p>What have you heard about Hampshire drug culture? Whether you are sub-free or sub-friendly, come learn about substance norms, sub-free spaces, and safety around drug use. Ask returning students about their experiences, on campus, off campus, and at Hampshire Halloween. This will be a chill space to get honest answers."</p>

83

<p>For what its worth, Hampshire fell off the “Reefer Madness” list in the 2011 Princeton Review College Survey rankings. In 2010, Hampshire was #8 - this year, not on the list.</p>

<p>Here are the lists that Hampshire did make:</p>

<h1>8 Class Discussions Encouraged</h1>

<h1>16 LGBT-Friendly</h1>

<h1>8 Long Lines and Red Tape</h1>

<h1>10 Most Politically Active Students</h1>

<h1>11 Least Religious Students</h1>

<h1>6 Most Liberal Students</h1>

<h1>8 This is a Library?</h1>

84

<p>The Hampshire Wellness Center is also working on confronting alcohol abuse issues:</p>

<p><a href=“http://blog.hampshire.edu/family/?p=1641#more-1641[/url]”>http://blog.hampshire.edu/family/?p=1641#more-1641&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>They give the following advice to parents:</p>

<p>"All entering students are asked to complete an online alcohol program called the ‘e-check-up to go,’ so you could use this as a conversation opener. Try to ask open-ended questions to encourage them to say more e.g. ‘What did you get out of the e-check-up program Hampshire asked you to do?’ rather than ‘Did you get anything out of the e-check-up program Hampshire asked you to do?’ "</p>

85

<p>During the new student orientation this Fall, there was the following session:</p>

<p>"Hampshire Drug Culture: Questions, Concerns, Sub-free Spaces, & Strategies for a Happy Halloween</p>

<p>What have you heard about Hampshire drug culture? Whether you are sub-free or sub-friendly, come learn about substance norms, sub-free spaces, and safety around drug use. Ask returning students about their experiences, on campus, off campus, and at Hampshire Halloween. This will be a chill space to get honest answers."</p>

86

<p>I’m a current, UNHAPPY student at Hampshire who will be transferring to another university next spring. About the marijuana use… Throwing out the fact that Hampshire is a college with teenagers so there will be drug use, there is an insane amount of pot smoked here. In public. During orientation, it is not uncommon to see a circle of people passing around a joint in front of the dining commons before heading in for lunch. The gazebos on campus by the dorms are the home to a 24/7 pot smoking group. Not only is it something that is done in broad daylight here at Hampshire, it is practically condoned by the faculty and staff here. I mentioned it to one of my professors, and she just laughed and said, “Oh, yeah, of course.” I have never seen the campus police enforce any form of repercussions on anyone because of drugs. I’ve had friends call the police because people taking drugs were blocking the entrance of one of the dorms. When the police came they simply told the students to take it somewhere else.</p>

<p>I would never recommend Hampshire to anyone.</p>

87

<p>Wow. Thanks for the insight. May I ask what year/Division you’re in? You’re speaking of common/public space, obviously–are you in substance-free housing, and is it just as wide-spread there?
Other than the widespread illegal drug use, are there other factors contributing to your departure?</p>

88

<p>My D (Div I, 3rd week of school) said the quads in the evening have those imbibing. However as a non user/smoker it has not bothered her at all. She does not hang out in the quads and is carefully making friends with others who share her interests. Hanging out in the quad is not one of those so she has not been disturbed by drug use/smoking at all. It’s there, it’s not intrusive to her.</p>

89

<p>My daughter (Div 1 also 3rd week) is complaining about kids staying up all night and being noisy, esp in Merrill. She says someone set off firecrackers at 2am a couple of nights ago. So she’s having trouble sleeping…</p>

90

<p>I’m a Div I. I am not in substance-free housing. (I’m in a Dakin semi-quiet floor). I can’t speak for all substance-free housing, but I have a friend in sub-free who is currently dealing with someone smoking in their bathroom. I don’t think it’s as widespread in sub-free, but there are issues.</p>

<p>I am having a hard time with several things here. I am finding the complete lack of formality in all of my classes to be posing an issue. Students often interrupt the professors and distract the direction of the class. There is a tremendous emphasis on being a vocal part of the class, which for someone like me, who is reserved and quite shy, is an issue. A lot of students are very… opinionated. There is a surprising amount of hostility towards people with conservative views and students are not afraid to shut you down.</p>

<p>I am looking ahead to my future college career, and I cannot see a career-oriented internship as something that is possible here. All internships seem to take place during the summer or during J-term (which I believe is only a few weeks). If you are hoping to intern for a year and study at the same time, it’s not going to happen.</p>

<p>And co-ed bathrooms are horribly uncomfortable! And filthy. There is apparently a cleaning crew that comes through, but I have yet to see them.</p>

91

<p>thelights045, I can see on a number of fronts how Hampshire may not be the best fit for you, but there’s one thing about which I have a question: how did you come to understand that internships last a whole year while you’re taking classes? I’m not familiar with this kind of arrangement. As a parent whose children both attend LACs (but not Hampshire), I know I have a somewhat limited experience, but I thought that most internship arrangements were for the summer, or as you suggest, during J-term (which is about a month). What schools offer this experience?</p>

92

<p>thelights045- I really understand what you are saying. My D can be introverted too, although does not typically present as shy- just reserved. She was lucky enough to get into her requested all female, quiet housing so she has not had to deal with what you do. She wanted all female precisely so she did not have to share a bathroom with guys.<br>
She visited the school because she wanted to make sure as a meat eating, leather wearing, hunting, upstate NYer she would feel comfortable. Yes, there are very strong pc or liberal people on campus. There are also strong supporters of live and let live. My D has found that there are more of the live and let live in her sciencey type classes. ( Although she did get “yelled” at for using the phrase “cowboy up”. She just ignored the person.) The school MAY not be the right place for someone who is upset by those who criticize if you do not share the same values. On the other hand, there are certainly other conventional (conservative, moderate or liberal) but tolerant students on campus; they may be hiding in plain sight so to speak. </p>

<p>I was on campus last Friday midday to deliver a computer and specifically checked out the quad/gazebos and did not not see anyone imbibing. (One conventional smoker near a door.) So while pot smoking maybe widespread, it is not constant and it appears it can be avoided, as my D has done so far.</p>

93

<p>Going by ALF’s 2010-11 information on 1st year housing, it’s surprising that only two areas were designated as Q/W (quiet/women only), as there are so many more women than men at Hampshire. I gather it’s demand-driven–wonder if there were more this year?</p>

<p>TOTALLY putting the cart before the horse, as DD had a great interview but still hasn’t submitted the entire ED app–but if she does get in, it will be interesting to see the housing request. She’s inclined to go for sub-free…is the quiet hall, de facto, sub-free? I’m betting it’s not vice versa–just because someone’s sub-free does not mean they need quiet.</p>

94

<p>Actually my D is only aware of ONE quiet/female only dorm this year. However there are other quiet coed, or semi quiet (e.g. LOUD) all female dorms. Sub free is not all female or quiet- at least the one below my D’s floor this year. Informally we heard that if you ask for all female as your first choice they will ensure that- and not that many want to be both all female and quiet.</p>

95

<p>I don’t know how it is this year, but in the past, Merrill House had a Very Quiet Women’s floor, but perhaps there were not enough takers to justify it? My daughter had a friend who lived in the VQ/W floor (apparently nicknamed ‘The Nunnery’ by some students), and it was definitely quiet with no guys in the bathrooms.</p>

<p>It has been my experience that sub-free does not necessarily imply quiet. As kinderny noted, “semi-quiet” actually means noisy. If students really want quiet surroundings, they should opt for Very Quiet floors.</p>

<p>It seems that the best way to get a quiet place is to organize a like-minded group and acquire a ‘mod’ (on-campus apartment) during the Spring Housing Lottery. Of course, this is no help to newly-incoming students.</p>

96

<p>Okay, so sub-free is not inherently quiet, and semi-quiet is DEFINITELY not quiet… I just wondered whether quiet/very quiet would tend to be sub-free. Again, not guaranteed, but just wondering if that’s an overall tendency.</p>

97

<p>moved to other thread</p>

98

<p>I should think that those who opt for Very Quiet are serious students who intend to study more than average. That would seem to not be conducive to drinking and smoking weed, but I suppose its no guarantee. As I indicated in a previous post, there is the one VQ/SI (very quiet/study intensive) floor that also has a nickname: The Morgue.</p>

99

<p>Mothek and I are taking the dialogue to <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hampshire-college/1212778-hampshire-visits-more.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hampshire-college/1212778-hampshire-visits-more.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;