Chapter 24: High Times

October 26, 1982, McKinley, Ohio

When we returned from biology lab on Tuesday morning, a large group was milling around the entrance to the dorms. I saw Melody and walked over to ask her what the issue was.

"The police busted Jeremy for pot," she said. "Nobody can go into the dorm right now."

"What? For one or two joints? I thought they decriminalized pot."

Melody laughed, "One or two joints? You're joking, right? He's the main supplier in our dorm! How did you not know that?"

"Because I have zero interest in marijuana! Why can't anyone go in?"

"The school's attorney and the cops are arguing over what they can and can't search without a warrant. The cops want to search every room; the school's attorney says they need a warrant to do that and that they don't have probable cause."

"CAN they search every room?"

"I don't think so. I called my uncle, but he wasn't in, so I talked to someone else at the ACLU, and they said if the police convince a judge they have probable cause, they might get a warrant, but he didn't think they could. A lot would depend on whether Jeremy blabs about who he sold to. They can search all the common areas, which they're doing now. If they find anything, that might let them get their warrant."

"How much did they find in Jeremy's room?"

"About thirty 'dime bags', so figure about 5 to 6 ounces at current prices. That's obviously distribution amounts."

"When can we get in?"

"When the cops decide. The people inside can leave if they agree to be searched."

"Wonderful. Can we go in if we're searched?"

"No. They're afraid people will toss stuff out the windows or flush it, and they can't watch everyone."

"What's the penalty for having a joint? Or say a bag?"

"A fine. More or less like a traffic ticket. If you didn't pay it, you could get 30 days in jail, but that's true for traffic tickets, too. But distribution and trafficking are felonies. Jeremy had enough for a felony."

"And gets him expelled, too."

"That actually is probably the worst part. Most likely, he could make some kind of plea bargain for a misdemeanor of some sort, but school policy is automatic expulsion. He could appeal, but it's futile."

"Do we know how he got caught?"

"There's a rumor that someone in our dorm is a narc. You know, an undercover cop posing as a student."

"I do know what a 'narc' is," I said indignantly.

"Chill!" Melody replied with a laugh. "You aren't exactly the type to associate with pot smokers, so it's reasonable to assume you don't know much about it."

Several others in the gang joined us, and we debated what to do. Eventually, we decided to get lunch and then come back, as there really wasn't much we could do until the police decided what they wanted to do. When we finished lunch, we went back to the dorms to find the police had gone. I stopped at the desk to ask the guy there what had happened.

"They searched all the common areas and didn't find anything. The school's attorney refused their request to search rooms, and they left."

I thanked him, and we headed upstairs. The 'drug bust' was the main topic of nearly every conversation that afternoon, with the big news being that Jeremy's roommate had been moved and assigned a new room.

"I guess the party crowd is going to be out of luck for a while," Sandy said.

"Nah, there's a guy over in the married dorms who has supposedly better stuff," Sophia laughed. "He has a source for Acapulco Gold."

"That's supposed to be the best stuff," Lee said. "Way more expensive, too."

"If you know about that, why don't the cops?" I asked.

"He's cautious who he sells to. Basically, only friends and people he knows well."

"Sure," I countered, "but if everyone knows, then everyone knows, including the 'narc'."

"I suppose so," Lee agreed. "I honestly only know about it third-hand, so I can't say. I'd be willing to bet his stash is no longer in his dorm room if that's where he kept it."

"There is going to be one problem," Robby said. "Rumor has it they're going to strictly enforce the rules against alcohol in the dorms."

"That sucks!" Sophia complained bitterly. "Next thing you know, they'll ban sex!"

I laughed, "It's already against the rules if you read them carefully. The rules about overnight stays and members of the opposite sex in sleeping areas make it fairly clear."

"Half the dorm is fucking!" she protested. "What are they going to do? Kick EVERYONE out of school?"

"Never!" Clark said with a laugh. "They don't have the guts or the death wish. I'm just glad it wasn't a black kid with the drugs. All we need is one MORE stereotype confirmed."

"Death wish?" I asked.

"Of the University," he replied. "Think about it. Kicking out half the students AND having a reputation as a 'den of iniquity' of drugs, booze, and sex? They'd be shut down! At least with the drugs, they can say they were following the law. There's no law against having sex if you're at least sixteen. And booze? We can legally drink 3.2 beer. And anyone who's twenty-one can drink anything. Even with pot decriminalized, selling it is still illegal."

"Can't they just pass any rules they want for the campus?"

"No," Melody said. "As a State university, they have to adhere strictly to the US and Ohio Constitutions. If this were a private university, they COULD make pretty much any rule they wanted. That said, even public universities try to get away with stuff. The ACLU has filed suits against colleges a number of times, especially around 'Free Speech' issues."

Jeannette and Marie came into the common area.

"There's a notice of an 'All Residents' meeting on the door of the dorm. It's tonight at 7:00pm. Supposedly, they're going to declare 'zero tolerance' for any rules violations."

"And put us on 'double-secret probation'?" Lee asked.

"They had a meeting with all the floor RAs at lunch and told them they want the rules strictly enforced."

"Then we're just going to have to have the rules changed," Melody said. "Student Government will push back on this at our meeting on Thursday, I'm sure. We're all legally adults, and while they can insist we obey the law, there are limits to how they can interfere in our lives, even on campus."

"Tell that to the kids at Kent State," Robby said, shaking his head.

"Before I respond, did you know that Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders was at Kent State as a student when the shooting happened?"

"No!" Robby replied with surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," Melody said. "The boyfriend of one of her friends was a victim. But I think we can avoid that by allowing Student Government to work as it's supposed to. But a few good protests don't hurt, so long as we're respectful and don't threaten anyone."

"And add another reason for Dean Parker to target us," I sighed.

"You can't stay out of this, Mike," Marie said firmly. "This time, we all have to stick together."

"I didn't say I disagreed; I just mentioned one of the downsides."

"The key is to use the system," Melody said. "Let Student Government address it. If that fails, then we circulate a petition. If THAT fails, then we have a carefully controlled rally."

"And if that gets out of hand?" Angie asked.

"We won't let it," Melody said. "We do it with proper organization — get permission, use the football field, don't use placards, and just have a few speakers. Then we walk silently to the admin building, someone gives a short speech from the steps, and then we all go home. We use student marshals to keep everyone under control. This isn't the 60s or early 70s."

"No, but Jim Rhodes is governor again," Jeannette replied. "And he was a big part of the problem at Kent State."

"True," Melody said. "But we're not going to be throwing rocks, occupying the Dean's office, or shouting down the Chancellor. We can do this the right way."

"We need to leave for karate soon," I said. "But I just want to say I'm not confident you can keep it under control."

"We'll get some professors with us," Melody said. "Doctor Blahnik, the music professor; Doctor Matteson, from the Humanities Department; Doctor Nelson, the sociology prof; and Doctor Karl, from the Math Department. All of them are very pro-student rights. And Doctor Blahnik has a lot of credibility after she turned in one of her own students to the Disciplinary Committee."

"Well, I'll leave you to make plans," I replied.

Angie, Robby, Lee, and I left the group to dress for karate, then left the dorm. I wasn't thrilled with the developments because I simply wanted to focus on studying, but it looked as if I was going to be sucked into politics, whether I wanted to be or not.

October 28, 1982, McKinley, Ohio

"I didn't see you at the Student Government meeting," Milena said when I walked into the music room on Thursday.

"I was studying. My friend Melody is a member of Student Government, and she'll report back. What happened?"

"A group of professors, including my mom, made a strong case for changing policy and allowing students to act like the adults they are. There was pushback, of course, and concern that parents would be upset if the university appeared to be condoning sex and alcohol. In the end, they agreed to review the policies and only strictly enforce the ones which prohibit otherwise illegal behavior. So, that means no liquor if you're under twenty-one and no drugs. Technically, pot isn't illegal, but because you can be fined for it, and selling it is illegal, that policy will be strictly enforced."

"It sounds as if cooler heads prevailed."

"We'll see. The real fight will be in the committee which is revising the policy. There are a lot of prudes here, and parents will certainly have a say."

"Even though we're all over eighteen?"

"Parents vote, and they often pay tuition."

Doctor Blahnik came in at that point, which ended the conversation. Milena said she'd see me at the Halloween Party on Saturday, then gathered her things and left. I took out my sheet music and guitar and sat on the stool, ready for my lesson.

"Thanks for speaking for us at the Student Government meeting," I said.

"You're welcome. I didn't become a professor to be a babysitter, and I daresay the Chancellor didn't sign up to be one, either. Unfortunately, pressure from parents, religious leaders, and politicians sometimes forces our hands. In Europe, they mostly don't have these problems. When students go to University, they are assumed to be adults and are treated as adults. That's what I want here, but I see far too much parental interference. And don't even get me started on religious leaders!"

"The local Protestant minister who's always around here preaching?"

"For one. Did you know he's petitioned the school several times for sex-segregated dorms where members of the opposite sex are not even permitted to set foot?"

I nodded, "I'd heard that. That's why I was surprised at the rules for the new Rickenbacker dorm."

Doctor Blahnik smiled, "A victory for the 'students are adults' faction, but which was sadly undone by someone foolish enough to deal drugs in the dorm. Hopefully, we'll keep the rules the way they are, but there are no guarantees because the committee which is looking into them has wide latitude."

"And if it were up to you?"

"Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll!" Doctor Blahnik laughed. "American age restrictions on many things are terribly misguided. The age of consent being as high as eighteen in some places is silly — fifteen or sixteen is the right age. And the age restrictions on alcohol are equally silly — eighteen makes much more sense. As for drugs, I don't feel marijuana is any worse than alcohol or tobacco, and it seems the State of Ohio agrees, given they decriminalized possession. And music, well, I appreciate all of it, from classical to heavy metal!"

"What do you think will happen?"

"Hopefully, the small group of professors who believe students are adults will be successful in convincing the others that our way is the right way. If we treat you as adults and with respect, we'll be rewarded by a student body which is respectful of the administration and acts responsibly. Will there be some who don't? Yes, of course. But collective punishment is not effective.

"When the Nazis shot scores of innocent civilians to make an example, all it did was enrage the population and cause the Nazis even more trouble. We need to learn that lesson here — collective punishment simply doesn't work and makes the innocent bear the burden for those who are actually guilty. Granted, we SHOULD resist Nazis at every turn, but my point was about the futility of collective punishment."

I nodded, "I understood that."

"Good. Let's get on with the lesson!"

October 30, 1982, McKinley, Ohio

"You decided against the costume?" Angie asked as we walked towards Doctor Blahnik's house.

"I realized going as a monk would only INCREASE the attention from Milena and her friends!"

Sophia laughed, "You got that right! It would be all about 'seducing the innocent monk'! But think of all the fun you could have!"

"Think of all the trouble I could get into!" I chuckled.

"THAT kind of trouble isn't a bad thing ... OUCH!" Jason exclaimed as Fran smacked him hard.

"Care to revise your statement?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, that would be a bad thing," he said piously, causing everyone to laugh.

"Are you going to sing with Milena again?" Angie asked.

"Probably. I enjoy it, and we do sound pretty good together, according to her mom."

"Doctor Blahnik is totally cool," Sophia said. "She was an awesome advocate for students at the Student Government meeting."

We arrived at the off-campus house, and as Milena had predicted, there weren't a lot of costumed attendees — a few skeletons, a few witches, and a couple of 'naughty' nurses. There were about a hundred people in the large, three-story house, which was decorated with a Halloween theme. We got drinks and snacks for ourselves and then went to the basement, where the dance floor was set up.

I danced with Angie, Sandy, Sophia, and Clarissa in turn, and as luck would have it, Clarissa and I ended up with a slow dance.

"We have to stop meeting like this!" she laughed, allowing me to take her loosely in my arms.

"We can wait for a faster song if you want."

"It's OK. You're the last person I'd expect to misbehave, and I actually like your hugs."

"Gee, thanks!" I chuckled.

"That didn't come out right, did it?"

"No, but I think I know what you meant. You appreciate my platonic hugs where you wouldn't appreciate the kinds of hugs you would get from most guys."

"Do you know there are people who think all lesbians need is a good screwing to make them 'straight'?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Of course, then there's that Protestant preacher running around campus saying how sinful it is, comparing the campus to Sodom and Gomorrah!"

"You do realize that was about inhospitality, not sex, right?" I asked.

"Is that what your church teaches?"

"Their behavior is set as a contrast with the hospitality of Abraham, who greeted angels unaware. Granted, the Orthodox Church believes homosexuality is a sin, but it also believes me having sex before I'm married is a sin, and there aren't any grades of sexual sin."

"I suppose that's something."

"Don't look at me to say anything about that to you. I'm not exactly in a position to criticize."

"You're a good friend, Mike. I hope we can manage to go to medical school together and even serve our Residencies together."

"Me, too."

We finished our dance and were walking back to where some of our friends were when Milena grabbed my hand and literally dragged me back to the dance floor. We danced to a couple of fast songs before we went to get something to drink.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"I've been dancing with the girls in our group of friends."

"Will you sing with me later?"

"Sure. Come find me when you're ready."

"Maybe an hour or so?"

"Sounds good."

I rejoined my friends and, over the next hour, danced with the girls again, including one dance with Fran, as well as a couple of other girls I recognized from school, and finally, one of Milena's friends, Deb.

"Ready to sing?" she asked as we moved to the dance floor as Endless Love began playing.

"I was just waiting for Milena," I said.

"She sent me to find you, but I wanted this dance first!"

She stepped into my arms, and we danced close, swaying gently to the music. I was a bit surprised she didn't put on a 'full-court press' as she had in the past, though I had to admit her lithe body felt very good against mine. We finished our dance, and I followed Deb up to the room with the grand piano. Quite a few people gathered around, and Milena started with a song we'd sung several times — Piano Man, by Billy Joel.

Our second song was Just the Way You Are, and I sang it with every bit of emotion I could muster. Milena smiled, and just as the song ended, I felt a hand on my shoulder. A quick sideways glance showed it to be a cute blonde I didn't recognize.

"Amazing," she whispered into my ear.

Our next song was Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon, and then Don't Stand So Close to Me by The Police. I felt a second hand on my other shoulder; this one proved to be black-haired and equally cute. I suppressed a laugh that I, Mike Loucks, could attract girls like these two just by singing.

"You have a fantastic voice," the black-haired girl said, squeezing my shoulder.

I smiled and nodded as Milena began playing Horse with No Name by America. After we finished that song, we performed two more, then finished with Yesterday by the Beatles. There was a lot of applause, several slaps on the back, and distinct squeezes of my upper arms by the two girls.