Normally, I try to keep my two hats as editor in chief of the Voice and student coordinator of Common Grounds, Woosterís chem-free on-campus coffeehouse, separate.† Last Friday, however, saw an incident that made me want to talk to the campus community as a whole about what we do. Specifically, after a crowded night, one of my staff members found cigarette butts on our porch and even inside the house.
Iím happy to say that these situations are relatively infrequent, but they do always seem to happen on weekends when we have wide-appeal entertainers,† where we bring in a crowd that doesnít come for the chem-free atmosphere. It makes me wonder whether the general population at Wooster knows what the chem-free programs are all about.
We donít have designs on running anybodyís lives or eliminating alcohol or tobacco entirely. We respect that in a free country people can and should choose how they will live their lives with regards to addictive and mind-altering substances.
But we also recognize that on college campuses, where young people are experiencing their first taste of independence from their parents, the exercise of those freedoms can get out of hand.† In places where drinking occurs, it often becomes the main event ó or the necessary social lubricant to really get enjoyment out of college parties.
So the reason for chem-free programs like Common Grounds, far from trying to stop people from having fun, is to try to make sure everyone has the chance to have fun.† We provide one place thatís always there on a Friday or Saturday night, or even on a Woo Wednesday, where students can come and know they wonít be asked or pressured to drink or smoke.† Our customers value that sense of safety and sanctuary, whether they have chosen not to drink or smoke at all, or they just donít feel like that scene on a particular night.
Thatís the reason I was offended to find those cigarette butts in our business, just as I am whenever drunk partiers think it would be funny to visit us during business hours or as I was when I saw one of our entertainers rolling a joint on the front step.† We donít ask anyone to give up their habits and weíre not pushing an agenda. We are trying to create a safe space, and though it takes our whole program to create that space, it only takes one person to violate it.
Everyone is welcome at Common Grounds, just as everyone is welcome at the Gallows performances or at Wooster Activities Crew or Student Activities-sponsored activities that are designated dry or chem-free.† We try hard to sponsor activities and entertainers with a wide appeal and advertise them widely on campus.† But like each of those places, we ask that when youíre with us you respect the decisions others have made and leave your alcohol, illegal drugs and cigarettes at home.