<p>so this comes "hot off the press". just got a call from my friend who is at UVM with his wife and kids for family weekend. ( no one can make this stuff up) he said he observes a "sick" relationship between the police and the UVM students. DURING FAMILY WEEKEND, he has seen... a "search and seizure " of an entire male floor in his d's dorm, Mercy Hall, for alcohol and other drugs. the kids were all written up and will be prosecuted, possibly expelled. while he and his family were hanging out in front of a dorm, a police officer came up to it with hand near holster...a bunch of guys hung out their windows taunting him, and he moved in toward them in a threatening manner. THIS IS NUTS! why upset all these families? yet this is exactly what his d says is the atmophere there! my theory is that since word is out (see Princeton Review) that UVM is such a drug school the cops are intentionally trying to be visible to calm the parents, but i think they are doing the opposite. ( geeze, what was meant as my original attempt to get some comments on Mercy Hall, has become a news-on-location type of report!) i told my friend other than writing here, i am impotent. he needs to speak to the authorities there.</p>
<p>Last time I checked, drugs and underage drinking are against the law, and police have a responsibility to enforce the law, regardless of which weekend it is...</p>
<p>An alternative view, which is worth reading by all prospective parents / students: <a href="http://media.www.vermontcynic.com/media/storage/paper308/news/2002/02/05/News/University.Of.Vermont.1.In.Drug.Referrals-176833.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://media.www.vermontcynic.com/media/storage/paper308/news/2002/02/05/News/University.Of.Vermont.1.In.Drug.Referrals-176833.shtml</a>. An extract: "According to Vermont law, minor misdemeanors are civil, not criminal offenses. Most offenses are handled within the university system. Arrests are made when a student is found with high quantities of drugs or is dealing drugs."</p>
<p>One might also question why those kids were doing drugs on parent's weekend, and also why Dr. Dad is more concerned about the police doing their job than the fact that many were doing drugs in proximity of DD. Personally, I'd be concerned if the police didn't go after the druggies...the last thing I'd want in my daughter's dorm (one thing is sure, the drugs came from dealers somewhere, and those are not very nice people...and they often have guns not in holsters...)</p>
<p>As to an officer carrying a gun with a hand "near" a holster on a drug bust and in light of taunting...well, that IS hard to imagine happening anywhere else...</p>
<p>BTW, you might want to talk to a couple of police officer friends in addition to doctor friends to get their reaction to a situation like this - they might have an entirely different take on the situation.</p>
<p>But we do agree on one thing, your friend needs to speak to the authorities. And of course if he's unsatisfied, then he should consider pulling his daughter out.</p>
<p>"Last time I checked, drugs and underage drinking are against the law, and police have a responsibility to enforce the law, regardless of which weekend it is..."</p>
<p>"Personally, I'd be concerned if the police didn't go after the druggies...the last thing I'd want in my daughter's dorm (one thing is sure, the drugs came from dealers somewhere, and those are not very nice people...and they often have guns not in holsters...)"</p>
<p>Very well said CTdad. Happycollegemom, Would your friend rather have the authorities look the other way? As a parent of a child at UVM, I certainly prefer law enforcement. In my daughter's dorm, the drug/alcohol prohibitions are CLEARLY stated as well as the consequences for violating these rules. If these kids are breaking the rules, they deserve prosecution-even during Family Weekend.</p>
<p>Also, taunting police officers? I hope those kids ARE expelled. I'd rather not have them around.</p>
<p>ok, kids, take off your gloves. let me remind you i have NO ONE at UVM, and i came here for legitimate help. NO KIDS ARE EVER ON THIS NOR HAS ANYONE, INCLUDING YOU TWO ADDRESSED MY CONCERNS!!! i'm done here(you'll be happy to know) as i read your posts to my friend yet again. HE needs to join and come here himself! you are both so incredibly defensive about your kids' school, that you are both totally missing the points i make. i'll try one more time:
1. your kids were lucky enough to not get marooned out on Trinity Campus. you cannot help me with that, so end of discussion.
2. all colleges are breeding grounds for alcohol and other drug use/experimentation...all kids everywhere, including your own.
3. UVM has let this all go unchecked for many years(as have others) and they foolishly think parents and the little kids who may be present for what they'd hoped to be a nice, classy family weekend who are subjected to rent-a-cops playing it up and their egos bigtime, will be impressed ??!! how totally irresponsible and cheesy for the administration to try to correct their weed ranking by such a tactic? at the expense of all the good kids and their families?
i am sorry for the defensiveness(and perhaps worry) i have stirred up in you. you all are the ones who can make a change. but i have never SEEN IN MY KIDS' SCHOOLS NOR HEARD OF AN ADMINISTRATION THAT WOULD PLAN SUCH A THING IN FRONT OF FAMILIES ON THEIR WEEKEND. BASE AND TASTELESS!</p>
<p>I agree with happycollegemom.<br>
I have read some of the other posts around here (including the Mercy Hall saga) and have been amazed at the negative condescending attitude from some of the posters regarding other people's opinions.<br>
Lighten up. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion!</p>
<p>thanks, mishdoob1 ! :)</p>