Pubdate: Thu, 21 May 2009
Source: Daily Nexus (UC Santa Barbara, CA Edu)
Copyright: 2009 Daily Nexus
Contact:  http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2729
Author: Melanie Dyer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Note: Melanie Dyer is a fourth-year Spanish major.

STUDENTS OBSESS OVER DRUGS, ALCOHOL

Throughout my career as a UCSB student I have developed a bit of a
habit of picking up the Daily Nexus before my first class and
attempting to complete the crossword by the end of my school day. It's
a ritual I enjoy that keeps me centered and gives me something to do
during my breaks or during a particularly dull biology lecture. The
crosswords are often found near the end of the paper, often adjacent
to the Opinion section and so I frequently find myself reading the
opinions of my fellow Gauchos. That is, I used to.

In the last few weeks I find that I can't look at the Opinion page
without reading some tripe about drugs or drinking.

We even have columnists on these subjects.

I realize that there are valid reasons for this upsurge of letters
discussing these topics: drug wars, contention over the legalization
of marijuana, Floatopia 2, etc. However, I find the frequency with
which these topics are discussed to be nothing short of disturbing and
disappointing. I have to ask myself, do the students at one of the
best schools in the country, even in the world, have nothing better to
do than to discuss the semantics of drugs and alcohol?

Is substance abuse so much a part of our lives that we are unable to
come up with anything else to talk about?

I would be remiss if I said that my four years as a UCSB student have
been dry, or have been free of recreational drug use. I know that
young people feel that they have a certain inalienable right to abuse
their bodies and screw around, and maybe it's true. We're certainly
better off abusing substances now while our parents are paying for
everything and our University is babysitting us than 10 years from now
in the office.

But isn't there more to the life of a UCSB student than drugs and
alcohol?

I was so refreshed when I read the Opinion piece last week about the
Farmer's Market. I would love to see more pieces like it in the
future. Perhaps a review of the Museum of Art downtown, or a detailed
account of outdoor activities available for students for free, or a
political piece or an environmental piece.

The Opinion page is speckled with letters like these, but lately they
are more the exception than the rule.

If you want to make the most of your life and your time at UCSB by all
means, enjoy I.V. and the lifestyle it has to offer.

You will never find another place like it in your life. But maybe
instead of getting trashed and baked every night you might try picking
up a classic novel, learning a new language, watching a foreign film
or making sushi with friends.

You might be surprised just how rewarding and fulfilling a night of
sober fun can be. Having fun doesn't always mean getting drunk, and
when you wake up the next morning feeling rested, healthy and
satisfied with bettering yourself you might end up wondering why you
ever get wasted at all. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D