Pubdate: Wed, 20 Apr 2005
Source: Colorado Daily (UC Edu, CO)
Copyright: 2005 Colorado Daily
Contact:  http://www.coloradodaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1557
Author: Casey Freeman
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)

NOT JUST 'GETTING STONED DAY'

The war on drugs doesn't just affect the users and dealers. It takes money 
away from students who need financial aid.

Campus activist Dustin Craun and Hip Hop Congress are holding an event 
called "Damn the Drug War" at the UMC Fountain today at 5 p.m. This event 
is part of the Fourth Annual Hip Hop Congress Awareness Week: Respect the 
Culture.

"Basically it's an event that happened to fall on the week on 4/20. As 
people who are Hip-Hoppers, the drug war has greatly affected our 
community, being that there's 1.2 million people in jail in the United 
States from drug offenses; 80 percent of those being people of color," said 
Craun.

Masta Ace, a hip hop artist from Brooklyn, N.Y. will perform, followed by 
political discussions about the effects of the drug war.

The group is most concerned with a recent statement by the CU's 
chancellor's office that "Student Code violations regarding the use of 
illegal drugs, such as marijuana, are handled similarly to alcohol 
violations. Violators also may be subject to federal regulations concerning 
drug penalties and potential loss of financial aid." This means drug 
offenses, like smoking pot, can be counted as a strike on a student's 
record. After a student racks up two strikes, he or she can be suspended 
from school.

"We wanted to bring to the students awareness that they need to be real 
careful that the University is seriously thinking about cracking down (on 
4/20), because if you have more than one drug offense, you basically cannot 
get financial aid," said Craun. "Because the U.S. government has classist 
policies that would affect poor people who get drug convictions."

The week of events was planned three months ago, and just happened to fall 
on April 20, a kind of holiday for people who enjoy smoking marijuana.

"You cannot have 4/20 without thinking of what the drug war does to people 
in this country and throughout the world," said Craun. "This is a much 
bigger thing than 'Getting Stoned Day.'"

Other Hip Hop Congress Awareness Week events will take on Friday, April 22, 
8 p.m. UMC 235, Caf/ Nuba: Revolutionary Curse Words. There will be an 
independent hip hop film, art shows and poetry. For additional information 
about Hip Hop Congress Awareness Week, contact Dustin Craun at  ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom