Mears: Should SHSU implement mandatory drug testing?

There are many schools across the nation that conduct random drug testing on students who compete or join extracurricular activities. However, there are not many groups that do this for college organizations, with the exception of sports and the major extracurricular activities such as football.

According to an article posted by Opposing Views a 12-year-old girl in Milford, Penn. was told that in order to join a “scrapbooking club” at her middle school, she would have to pass a drug test. While many people would argue that asking the girl to take a drug test in order to join an extracurricular activity was a bit ridiculous, others see it as a safety net for not only the school but the young girl.

The purpose of these random drug tests are not to punish those that are found using drugs, or drinking under the legal age, but it is to prevent the use of drugs and underage drinking. But how is it that this 12-year-old in middle school was asked to take a drug test, yet many groups at Sam Houston seem to not to care if a member is underage and drinking? There are not enough groups on the SHSU campus that test their members but they should.

Recently, I overheard a couple of students talking about their upcoming ‘Bid Day’ and one of the students made the remark that “a good bid day is one that you can’t remember.” While not all fraternity or sorority members think this way, there are many who do. This is the reason I believe that we should have random drug testing for all groups associated with SHSU.

Personally, I did not come to SHSU to party all the time or to drink or do drugs; I came here to further my education and it just peeves me to see groups that are associated with SHSU running around drinking and doing other things of the sort.

SHSU is a great school that provides its students with a chance to earn a great education and a chance at a better future, so why would a student who claims to love this school and are so school spirited want to tarnish SHSU’s name by drinking underage and doing drugs?

To stop this from happening, SHSU should have groups that associate themselves with the school to do random drug testing. Not only would it stop students from using drugs or drinking underage, but it would also help to boost university’s image and would prepare our students for the real world because many jobs/careers require employees to pass random drug tests.

According to an article from the American Civil Liberties Union, Linn State, a school in Missouri, implemented mandatory drug testing of all of its students. While many people claimed that this was in violation of the student’s rights, Linn State argued that they were just looking out for their students, trying to protect them and prepare them for the real world.

Living close to campus and working on campus, I’ve had to deal with my fair share of students under the influence of drugs and alcohol. While many people may try to argue that SHSU is perfect and that underage drinking and drug using does not occur here in Huntsville, they are sorely mistaken.

According to the fall semester UPD Crime Log, there have been 10 drug arrests and 17 alcohol arrests from Aug. 3 to Sept. 18.

As a campus, SHSU needs to take a stand and say no more to this. SHSU needs to implement random drug testing for all of its students involved in extracurricular activities or those who are involved in groups who associate themselves with SHSU.