In 2005, there were 33 on-campus drug violations reported to Elon’s judicial affairs office. Although statistics for 2006 have not yet been made public, officials say that marijuana usage has increased since 2005.

Colleen Newman, assistant dean of judicial affairs, acknowledged that she saw several drug cases in the fall semester. Newman said the cases she sees primarily involve marijuana or drug paraphernalia.
Freshmen Roswell Satterwhite and Morgan Bauer were charged with a drug violation in the fall. Both Satterwhite and Bauer were on preliminary probation during Winter Term.

“If we are found responsible for any honor code violation, we get suspended for the semester,” Satterwhite said.

Bauer and Satterwhite were charged with marijuana use and possession of related paraphernalia when another student complained about them smoking marijuana in their dorm. Around midnight, three police officers and a campus security guard came to their door.

“You know that feeling when your heart drops and you’re like, ‘holy crap,’…times that by a thousand,” Bauer said.

Both students had to hand over their Phoenix Cards so the security guard could take down their names and then had to sign a contract allowing their room to be searched.

“They told us it would be very easy for them to obtain a search warrant if we didn’t sign,” Bauer said. “One of the officers said that he would have no problem taking us to jail.”

The officers searched their desks, closets and refrigerator, campus property and the students’ personal property.

“Probable cause warrants them searching through our personal stuff,” Bauer said. “We didn’t know that.”

The three officers searched the entire room and confiscated paraphernalia, including a hookah and pipes, half-ounce of marijuana stems and quarter of seeds. After their hearing with judicial affairs, both were put on probation, given 25 hours of community service and fined $100.
Bauer said that drug use on-campus is “shoved into a closet” because of the prevalence and availability of alcohol.

Chief of Campus Police Chuck Gantos said that while marijuana use is significant, other drug use has been reported.

“We have had a couple of instances where charges have been associated with coke,” Gantos said. “Last semester we caught a suspected dealer, a non-student, who was carrying marijuana, coke and codine.”
Despite the recent arrest, Gantos believes marijuana is more prevalent than harder drugs.

“The use of harder drugs has declined,” he said. “But marijuana use, especially among incoming freshmen, has increased.” Gantos attributes this to heavier use of illegal substances in high schools.

“Kids bring their social habits with them to college,” he said.

Timon Linn, the associate director of campus police, said that when security catches a student using marijuana they can either have the student arrested or turn their case over to judicial affairs. The officer’s choice often depends upon the amount of drugs involved and the cooperativeness of the offender.

“Our office receives the police incident reports and determines what policy violations have occurred,” Newman said.

After the violations are established the student receives a charge notice through e-mail, informing them of the policies they may have violated and asks them to make an appointment with the Office of Judicial Affairs for a hearing.

“The student has a conference with Dean [Scott] Nelson or myself. It’s their chance to share what happened,” Newman said. “Only after the hearing do we make a decision.”

When found guilty of a drug violation, students are often put on probation. When a student is placed on disciplinary or preliminary probation their parents or legal guardians receive a letter notifying them of their child’s probationary status and the violations that occurred.

According to the university handbook a student on probation is “expected to show a positive change in behavior.”

Depending on the severity of the violation, a student may also have to pay a fine, attend counseling and participate in a type of campus restitution.

“We consider volunteering on-campus as a way to give back to the community offenders took away from,” Newman said.

Reporter: Margeaux Corby - 02/08/07