5 ms·

For better or worse, this is the same of type of action schools take on major offenses. In universities, first possession of marijuana or underage drinking is d

by orky56 16y ago

For better or worse, this is the same of type of action schools take on major offenses. In universities, first possession of marijuana or underage drinking is dealt with a warning and perhaps community service. In the real world, there are real consequences for these actions as well as plagiarism. I guess college tuition is really just an insurance policy for crimes?

icegreentea 16y ago
To some extent, that's an acknowledgement to the reality that colleges and universities aren't just a place/time to learn, but also be exposed to new things, and 'trying shit out'. Basically, universities are this bizarre bubble between childhood and the 'real world', where bizarre halfway rules apply. I'm pretty sure it's been seen that way for quite a while. It's also pragmatic. If you handed out 'real' punishment to everyone, they would be so brain boggling drowned in paperwork (this is also ignoring the serious drop in enrollment). Honestly, with drinking and drugs, the universities' goal is really to a) make sure no one gets hurt on campus and b) make sure they never actually have to punish anyone. The hope is that the 'warning' scares the kids off enough so they go about their drinking and doping in a smarter way so they hopefully won't be caught again. And for what it's worth (this completely depends on location I guess... at least here in Waterloo), if you're caught underage drinking, or smoking pot pretty much anywhere by anyone who isn't a police officer, you're likely to just have your stuff confiscated, a stern talking to, and kicked out on the threat of calling the popos. It's just way easier that way for everyone.
redthrowaway 16y ago
"Major offenses...first possession of marijuana or underage drinking..." That's what qualifies as major? I don't give a damn if my classmates drink and blaze; I do care if they cheat and implicitly lower the value of my degree in the process. Then again, nobody at my school cares about liquor or pot, so I guess it's hard to compare it to schools that view either as an actual issue.
- orky56 16y ago
  I'm just saying from an objective, legal perspective. Some of these universities are public so you would think they would more strongly enforce the law. When you're really young, you get a lot of lenience based on your age. In college, I'm not really sure why you would get an excuse? If it's about finding yourself, then it's just temporary and artificial. Whatever you thought you knew no longer applies once the "rules" change. /rant
  - redthrowaway 16y ago
    Where I am (BC, Canada), the drinking age is 19 and nobody, police included, cares about weed. So I guess for colleges, underage drinking would only be a problem for freshmen. Even then, there are dorm parties all the time and no one on campus cares about liquor. I've never heard of campus security hassling anyone over substances. Hell, we even have a "420 club" that meets on wednesdays at 4:20 on the field in the center of campus and smokes piles of weed. I guess attitudes towards substances are just much more relaxed here than most places in the US.

by orky56 16y ago

icegreentea 16y ago

To some extent, that's an acknowledgement to the reality that colleges and universities aren't just a place/time to learn, but also be exposed to new things, and 'trying shit out'. Basically, universities are this bizarre bubble between childhood and the 'real world', where bizarre halfway rules apply. I'm pretty sure it's been seen that way for quite a while. It's also pragmatic. If you handed out 'real' punishment to everyone, they would be so brain boggling drowned in paperwork (this is also ignoring the serious drop in enrollment). Honestly, with drinking and drugs, the universities' goal is really to a) make sure no one gets hurt on campus and b) make sure they never actually have to punish anyone. The hope is that the 'warning' scares the kids off enough so they go about their drinking and doping in a smarter way so they hopefully won't be caught again. And for what it's worth (this completely depends on location I guess... at least here in Waterloo), if you're caught underage drinking, or smoking pot pretty much anywhere by anyone who isn't a police officer, you're likely to just have your stuff confiscated, a stern talking to, and kicked out on the threat of calling the popos. It's just way easier that way for everyone.

redthrowaway 16y ago

"Major offenses...first possession of marijuana or underage drinking..." That's what qualifies as major? I don't give a damn if my classmates drink and blaze; I do care if they cheat and implicitly lower the value of my degree in the process. Then again, nobody at my school cares about liquor or pot, so I guess it's hard to compare it to schools that view either as an actual issue.

orky56 16y ago
I'm just saying from an objective, legal perspective. Some of these universities are public so you would think they would more strongly enforce the law. When you're really young, you get a lot of lenience based on your age. In college, I'm not really sure why you would get an excuse? If it's about finding yourself, then it's just temporary and artificial. Whatever you thought you knew no longer applies once the "rules" change. /rant
- redthrowaway 16y ago
  Where I am (BC, Canada), the drinking age is 19 and nobody, police included, cares about weed. So I guess for colleges, underage drinking would only be a problem for freshmen. Even then, there are dorm parties all the time and no one on campus cares about liquor. I've never heard of campus security hassling anyone over substances. Hell, we even have a "420 club" that meets on wednesdays at 4:20 on the field in the center of campus and smokes piles of weed. I guess attitudes towards substances are just much more relaxed here than most places in the US.