THE COLLEGE VOICE MONDAY, DECEMBER 5. 2011 NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT VOLUME XCV • ISSUE 9 School Policy Unaffected by Change in State Law Regarding Marijuana Posession ANDREA AMULIC demeanor to civil violation. nalization is cost-effective, is not associated from legalization,” and noted that the change is STAFF WRITER The fines for this offense have also been dras- with increased cannabis use at the state level administrative, rather than moral. tically reduced: first-time offenders will be cited (indeed, they found larger increases of canna- But what does the decriminalization of mari- Although the use or possession of non-medi- and fined $150, and fines for subsequent offens- bis use in states that imposed criminal penal- juana in Connecticut mean for the student body cal marijuana is still illegal in the state of Con- es may increase to amounts from $200 to $500. ties) and is not correlated with rates of alcohol of Connecticut College? necticut, recent legislation has decriminalized Support for this legislative change comes or other drug use. As it turns out, not that the possession of small amounts of cannabis. from numerous findings, including those of The change seeks to re-appropriate the state’s much. Dean Cardwell said, In accordance with SB 1014, which took effect the Connecticut Law Revision Commission of legal resources, thus allowing for greater atten- “The college’s policy on mari- beginning in July 2011, the criminal penalties 1997. After comparing data from states that had tion to be paid to more serious criminal offens- juana use has not changed in for the possession of less than half an ounce of decriminalized cannabis with states that still es. Sarah Cardwell, Associate Dean of Student accordance with the new law marijuana have been removed and the classifica- imposed criminal penalties on cannabis posses- Life at Connecticut College, said, “I think it’s a because the legislation targets tion of the offense has been changed from mis- sion, the commission determined that decrimi- fine change. Decriminalization is quite different fines and logistics.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Parking Shouldn’t Be a Pain NBA Lockout Comes to A Close BEN STEPANSKY STAFF WRITER I’m going to be honest with you. I was secretly hoping that the NBA owners and players would not reach an agreement before the entire season went down the drain. I was getting used to a sports-world without profes- sional basketball. I’m not going to get into the technicalities of the agreement, because frankly, I care about them less than I care about when the Jersey Shore season begins, but the question still remains: how the hell did it take this long!? Don’t get me wrong, I love my Bos- ton Celtics…during the basketball sea- PHOTO EDITOR PHOTO son. But during the other five or six months of the year (depending on how long the NBA makes me waste my ear- ly summer nights indoors watching a two month long playoff), I am focused on baseball or football whole-hearted- HANNAH PLISHTIN / ly. In fact, this winter I was all geared up to focus on my UConn Huskies pro- tecting their most recent National Title MELANIE THIBEAULT ago. Students may not want to pay, illegally on campus, probably until the changes. Since many members of and my new interest in the Boston Bru- ARTS EDITOR but if they’re like me, they’re go- they get caught by Campus Safety SGA who worked to install this plan ins defending their first Stanley Cup in ing to reluctantly fork over the cash officers, and sometimes, even after. have graduated, the current students nearly 40 years. As a sophomore, I was excited at in exchange for having a personal I know that many new park- are left to deal with the implications the prospect of bringing my car to method of transportation all year. Or, ing regulations have been imple- and frustrations that have resulted CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 campus this year, though I was dis- if they’re more inclined to break the mented this year after proposals set from this new parking system. gruntled at the prospect of paying rules, they’re going to forfeit reg- forth by SGA in past years, and I $150, double the price of two years istering their cars and instead park can’t say that I’m happy with all of CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 This Week in Photos IN THIS ISSUE NEWS OPINIONS ARTS SPORTS Interview with Google+ vs. Facebook Conversation with Kinetics of The Curse of the 4 Alice Maggin’91 7 10 Kinetics and One Love 8 “Dream Team” 2 THE COLLEGE VOICE THE COLLEGE VOICE 3 EDITORIALS /// LETTERS DECEMBER 5, 2011 THIS WEEK DECEMBER 5, 2011 Editorials I have two housemates. One is Carolyn, who has provid- an enlightening conversation. The community we’ve found ed our 360 Mohegan home with crayons and Sesame Street ourselves in is embedded with opportunities that are con- monday coloring books; the other, Kerry, has an unnatural capacity tingent on these connections. for presidential facts and brings home a lot of granola.360 But as the semester comes to an end, I’m focusing less apartment three has become our home: a patriotic-themed on these formal relationships, and more on the ones I’ve Combat Spin Class posterboard of house rules adorns our living room wall built outside of the classroom: the ones that will read over (Rule #8, if you’re cooking for us, no rules apply; Rule a paper at 11 PM for me, that will pick me up an extra cof- 3:00 PM #8a, if you’re cooking, it is for us), and we leave love notes fee, that cover my room in creepy photos and that attempt, tuesday for each other on our bathroom mirror. Our refrigerator is though halfheartedly, to fill my room with partially-inflated Spinning Room, Athletic Center filled with cheese. In our specialty housing application, we balloons for my birthday. The turbulence of finals has re- referred to ourselves as a three-headed monster. I don’t allocated the focus from friends to work; the return from Israel Study/Advocacy think we’ve ever been more accurate. winter break will grant us some early-semester free time The senior mentality is centered around capitalizing on before we’re bogged down with work yet again, and then 4:00 PM all the opportunities we’ve been given in the time we have we graduate. The canned question at the end of a prospec- Connecticut College Concert Band left: we’re encouraged to appreciate our professors, to ex- tive student interview has become “what’s been your fa- Harkness Chapel Library plore previously undiscovered corners of the curriculum, vorite part about being at Conn?” I tell them it’s the people 7:00 PM to take advantage of Conn-specific opportunities. The lit- I’ve met here. My summer roommate who became our erature we received as prospective students about Conn’s multimedia editor, my Office of Admission peers that can Evans Hall strong points has turned into a checklist: have I consumed commiserate over write-ups, the College Voice staff who Hebrew Cafe enough camel cookies? Have I sat on Tempel Green with are having as much fun on issue nine as they did on is- a book? Have I truly experienced the beauty of the Plex at sue one: college is not only about building connections and 6:00 PM night? compiling resources to improve your life for the future, but As our time in college has progressed, one of our chief also about creating relationships that enhance where you Coffee Grounds objectives has been to make connections. One of our are now. It’s important to learn and gain experience, but it’s school’s chief assets is the ability to foster that goal. Conn also important to have fun. This isn’t something that can be is known for its small student-faculty ratios, and students administratively sanctioned or outlined in the course cata- are expected to create relationships with professors that log, but it remains integral to our experience. ultimately reap some benefit, be it an unofficial mentor- I’m grateful for the time we’ve had thus far, and I’m ex- ship, the agreement to a last-minute independent study or cited about the time we have left. I’m also really sorry I a recommendation. Through College Relations, alumni didn’t do my dishes. are invited back to the College to wax poetic on their time here, but also to provide insight on where they are, and more importantly, how they got there. The list of deans - Jazmine and administrators is prolific, which means that there is an abundance of people to reach out to for life advising or for “On the Nature of Being Woody: How Advances Free Speech in Genetics are Shaping Our Understanding of of any college in the country(and for activities we have here, and our most but if those aren’t worth loosing in the Secondary Growth in Plants” that matter the world) would be a good radical idea of dissenting consists of a name of justice then the whole point of start, especially when (as you point) letter to SGA than I’m not sure what to dissenting is moot. I hope at least with 11:50 AM our diplomas may not even be valuable think of the objections in the first place. this post to allow CC Dissent to see that enough to secure us a job. The reactions to these injustices don’t there really are things that can be done Olin 014 If this group is really serious about match the injustices themselves and I’m that are far more drastic than involving wednesday A Web comment in response to Megan lished decision not to seek support from their goal of dissenting, and I hope they beginning to wonder if this is something SGA in the argument.