Don't 'waste' away your experience

good friend of mine is a resident assistant in Briscoe this year. As we chatted this week about our summers, I asked her why she had decided to become an RA, especially in Briscoe. There's nothing wrong with that, but I was surprised because she seems more academically oriented. During her first two years, she lived in the Honors section of Ashton Center. \n It seems she didn't have a choice. She was placed in Briscoe, but she was excited for the year ' or at least had been. She felt dismayed about her first floor meeting, because she felt she had been preachy and kind of mean. Being on a co-ed floor, her responsibilities are extensive and the time commitment high.\nNevertheless, she was still interested in the semester ahead of her. That is, until a floor-occupant asked where they could go to "smoke up." Another disheartening question came from a floor resident who asked what would happen if she came home "wasted." \nBeing asked these questions came as a shock to her because she had expected her floor members to, at least, keep quiet about those activities. But the other shock came from knowing that the students didn't even think twice about these illegal activities.\nIf I were the RA, my answer to the "smoke up" question would have been "Jail!" No one is above the law, and sooner or later many people are caught, or at least it catches up to them. Whether I or anyone else in the world condones marijuana use is irrelevant. Though I personally believe it not to cause any permanent physical harm, other than the killing of brain cells, it certainly isn't conducive to getting an education.\nThe question about coming home wasted troubled me at first, but I know that under-age consumption of alcohol is something nearly every student at IU has done or will do at some point. If I had been the RA, my response would have been, "At least you came home." \nIf you're intoxicated and underage (women especially), the best thing for you to do is come back home to your dorm. While intoxicated, you are vulnerable to the law, to yourself (driving while intoxicated) and to other people who might take advantage of you (rape). \nAs a person who has a general respect for life, I would rather see a student home and safe, albeit "wasted," and not easy prey wandering around campus. But, as a person with a strong moral center, I still have problems with students who act or think similarly to those mentioned above.\nIU is a strong educational institution with a plethora of opportunities and courses in everything from The Beatles to genetic engineering. The money I pay for my education is dear to me, and I hope that I do everything I can to make sure the money is well spent. \nWhy spend upwards of $10,000 on an education here or anywhere if it's going to be jeopardized by illegal activities? As far as I know, one can go out and get messed up, wasted and high without spending so much money.\nWhile I wholeheartedly believe the college experience should include socializing (and drinking, which I'll admit to doing), it shouldn't be the first priority when asking an RA questions about campus and the rules. It is sad to hear the first questions from a new student's mouth focusing on being high and wasted.\nCherish this school and the years you have here. If you take advantage of your opportunities, they're worth every penny you spend.