Comments

1
a few years back there was some circulating rumor that fbi would attend, undercover, to renn fayre. i guess these deaths are inconvenient (god i HATE that "the big H" comment) but renn fayre is a time of community and sharing versus individuality and hiding up in your room (off campus, even) doing depressing shit. maybe if we invite him he'll chill out. FRESHMEN, WORRY NOT: RENN FAYRE WILL STILL BE RAW AS FUCK.
2
Why should the Reedies get a pass on drug use when People of Color and the poor get aggressively targeted? The issue that needs to get addressed is not where the Drug War is looking, but the fact that there's a Drug War at all.
3
Dwight C. Holton and Michael D. Schrunk should both be investigated by federal and state grand juries for conspiring to drive up the price of drugs. They both go after drug sales and use, thus making the risk of drug transportation increase. This leads to an increase in drug prices which makes the cartels and the deaths in the current Mexican gang war possible. The cartels are probably happy about individuals like Holton and Schrunk, because they make the drug trade more profitable. And naturally Holton and Schrunck both get paid rather well from the government and support a whole industry of attorneys, prions, and police. If they and their co-conspirators in this "Baptist and Bootlegger' alliance stopped their work tomorrow the deaths and violence would stop. Perhaps more people would use drugs, but they would be able to test the quality and amount and not buy drugs of unknown quality and potency and would at least be able to make better informed decisions about what they ingest.

(On a less serious note, I hope the Reedies all get together and buy up all the incense in town and burn it at hundreds of locations at Renn Faayre to confuse the hell out of the narcs. )
4
This statement was not written by the US ADA, this statement is a hoax. I would guess it is being perpetrated on behalf of a disgruntled family member, by whom and how they were able to infiltrate Reed's email system, I am not sure (though it is clearly not too difficult). Fear not this blatant disinformation and propaganda dear Reedies, fear not.
5
Well, now we know how to get the DA to take a closer look at Christopher Humphreys and Kyle Nice: someone needs to slap a Reed College bumper sticker on their cars.
6
The fact is that the drug trade is now fueled by one of the most potent forces in the West: the US government.
7
Blasphemer is right this letter is a hoax and Sara fell for it. Convenient it came on the weekend when the US ADA offices were closed. Can you imagine a US ADA using the terms "businessification" or "Don’t get sucked in by this bogus Siren call". LOL. Whether Reed's Administration actively or passively accepts drug use as part of the campus "culture" that doesn't relieve anyone from personal responsibility. You pays your money you takes your chances!
8
Blashpemer and alainb1,
Where are you getting it's a hoax? It seems legit based on the meeting the Oregonian reported the Reed college president had with the district attorney this week. That story is here: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2…

I'll get a confirmation from the DA's office Monday morning, but if you've got evidence that it's a big, fat hoax, put it up here in the comments or send me an email at smirk@portlandmercury.com
9
What does "kind radly" mean? I can't keep up with the kids' dope slang these days.

And yeah, I call hoax. Either that, or the the DA told his college-age intern to write the letter. "Hey, Mackenzie, those kids at Reed hate greed and the big pharma, right?"
10
I have a friend who got hooked very badly on Heroin back in the 90s at Reed, and I know many other people (as I'm sure many of you also know) who have been affected by Heroin's terrible grip. This problem isn't going to be solved by Draconian enforcement by the DA or police, which the letter seems to acknowledge. In fact it seems to be pleading with Reedies to change their own culture so that there does not have to be intervention.

What's wrong with that?

As for the exploring drugs is good line... I did drugs for more than ten years, and I can tell you that I didn't explore shit. I explored my own bedroom, seedy bars, and people I never even want to think about again. I explored rape, and debt, and relapse, and eventually withdrawal. Not everyone can escape from exploration without a serious addiction, and I do think that this should be talked about more openly.

In a day in age when doing drugs (even pot) means you might be supporting an out of control drug war that kills many of thousands of people a year and supports the increased militarization of our society, it's scary that even our most liberal institutions seem to be reluctant to take a stand on this issue. It's even more scary that every comment on here has been in some support of "RAW AS FUCK" drug use. C'mon guys! Drugs are just not that awesome. I don't support drug laws, or police intervention, but I do support common sense, and the building of community support for others (especially college students) to feel comfortable and happy about saying no.
11
"It seems legit based on the meeting the Oregonian reported the Reed college president had with the district attorney this week."

Soooo, you don't think it's possible someone read the same article, then drafted this little hoax email?

There's a indictment of the different approaches to journalism in this tale.
12
Yes, probably a hoax. There could be an amazing story behind it though.

Upon reading the email Pres. Diver sent to students, it does seem a bit odd that the DA would then send out an unnecessarily slangy email to students right after.

(http://media.oregonlive.com/news_impact/ot… from Pres Diver to student body-.pdf)

Diver's message is straightforward and much more in keeping with what you'd get out of an institutional president.

13
That was a great response, thedivinemsblue.
14
Ooh, dangerous marijuana! Why must we always lump all of these drugs together? Is it just that it's easier than thinking?
15
Wait - the drug trade is now fueled by 'greed' - because it was altruistic before Reedies OD'd?
16
This URL works a little better. This statement from Reed College President Colin Diver is authentic: http://tinyurl.com/ColinDiverStatement
17
RE: Is this a hoax?

I just got off the phone with the District Attorney's office and confirmed that Mike Schrunk did send this email to Reed College president. So it's real.
18
RE: Is this a hoax?

Yes, Michael Schrunk did send an email, but no, it was not the email presented above. Sorry Sarah, you were duped.
19
Duped by whom? Why would this be a hoax again? To what particular gain?

kthxbai
20
Definitely "kind of badly written" for something coming from the DA, Sarah. I am surprised that you would fall for such a transparent hoax.
21
@Blasphemer: Um... smirk just confirmed with DA's office. You're just trolling.
22
I hadn't seen Jackattak's question when I posted.

The obvious answer is that Holton and Schrunk wrote this self-parody hoax.

"We owe that to the people of our community, including you."
23
Inside Higher Ed's Scott Jaschik did an excellent article that summarizes how many in the Reed community feel - a point of view overlooked in the Willy Week's and Oregonian's blogs.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/04…

As a Reed student, my biggest concern is that the presence of law enforcement officers on campus this weekend might prevent people from getting medical help if they do choose to engage in behaviors that these officers intend to prevent. Having undercover officers present might dissuade students from seeking help from resources, such as the White Bird clinic, that were safe spaces in previous years. People are going to experiment either way at Renn Fayre - it's a matter of making students feel comfortable seeking emergency help if they need it.
24
@Rachael Marcus: Why should Reed be treated any different than outer-SE?
25
I really want to go to Renn Fayre, now. Can you get me in, Rachael?
26
I'm not sure why Reed doesn't just make it a private event. Raves and the like are all private events (i.e. you have to pay to get in), thus the cops can't even come inside unless they suspect foul play (which is pretty hard to tell with everyone on E or LSD...there's really no tell-tale signs).

Drugs are rampant at raves and electronic shows and there are hardly ever any serious incidents outside of dehydration and that's typically due to the idiot suburbanites who are drikning booze while rolling (consequently ruining their E experience at the same time).

There's always medical staff on-site for those.
27
Renn Fayre actually has always been a private event - the campus is closed to non-Reed community members, and guests must pay for a pass and be sponsored by a Reed community member. Students who volunteer for "Boundary Patrol" check to make sure everyone has wristbands, and if someone doesn't, they are escorted off campus. I'm actually unclear on why law enforcement has been allowed on campus this year. I suspect it has to do with the threat of discontinuing federal funding to Reed College unless the administration cracks down.
28
That's why I asked! I'll pay for a wristband...just need to make friends with a Reedie quick, I guess.
29
So far it doesn't seem like a hoax..At least not according to the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/educatio…
30
WOW.

Will since it's not a hoax then, what do you guys think of the letter?

I think it's amazing, coming from the DA. It seems to really try to persuade, rather than threaten people like Racheal who still don't get why the police might feel that they need to intervene in the Renn Fayre. It's your campus' job to change the culture so that police do not have to get involved. And, did anyone say anything about undercover cops? Did I miss that? It seems ridiculous (expensive, and unnecessary) to have cops undercover when the students will (and should apparently, from the two letters sent over the weekend) expect them to be there.
31
Ok, sorry, via NYT: "At a meeting at the federal courthouse Thursday, a United States attorney and the county district attorney told Mr. Diver that they planned to send undercover agents this weekend to the Renn Fayre festival, which started as a Renaissance Fair but now has a different theme each year."

Missed that point. Undercover seems dumb to me, but that's just me.
32
As a Reed Grad, I think the funniest part of all this is the simple fact that you can't buy drugs at Renn Fayre. I mean, think about it. Everyone on-campus has had months to stockpile. The students who sell don't want to spend their weekend running after a few bucks. Most importantly, letter or no letter, anyone you don't know at Renn Fayre asking about drugs is probably a narc anyway...

Expect the squares to be bored out of their minds by Friday night from listening to weird music and getting the distinct sensation that they ended up at the wrong party.
33
@stranger: Lulz, you actually referred to people as 'squares'.
34
How do they intend to get undercover cops into a college-kids-only event? Only through the assistance of the school could this be possible. And if that winds-up being the case, I highly doubt administrative staff being willing to put their tuition-paying students in jeopardy of being shot, tazed, and/or kicked to death.

Thanks for the clarification, Rachael.
35
@thedivinemsblue: yes, students were informed that there will be undercover cops at this year's Renn Fayre. Yes, you did miss that. Yes, it is ridiculous.
36
This is all so interesting! I hope they were able to be stricter with their policy last year. At a place that uses new technology like lecture capture I wouldn't think that the students would be so able to turn their back to their good education and do such bad things. As this time is approaching once again this year, I look forward to see how its handled. http://www.tegrity.com

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