Since the Cluster Deans announced the school’s new breathalyzer policy at last week’s cluster meeting, the campus has been rife with rumor: “they’ll” randomly drug test everyone; “they” are out to get certain students with this policy; “they” are just trying to scare the students. Reactions have varied as well, coming in the form of anger, paranoia, and, most disconcerting of all, apathy. Even worse, this sentiment is most prevalent among the Senior class, the supposed leaders of the school. Walking out of the Flagstaff meeting in Kemper, I overheard many Seniors talking about the new plans, which were not surprisingly the crux of the meeting. However, their attitude was relief, not worry: after all, ’07 is graduating in four months, before the breathalyzer and drug testing policy would come into effect. It’s a classic case of “Why should I worry?” The ostrich with its head in the sand hopes that the larger problems with honesty in the disciplinary process and strained student-administration feelings will just go away. By saying, “Who cares, we’re graduating – sucks to be you guys,” the Senior class perpetuates one of the biggest problems facing Andover today – that of “pro sibi.” In an intensely competitive environment such as PA, it is no wonder that students are slow to act when they will not directly benefit. With so little time to spare, who would “waste” it working on behalf of underclassmen? Furthermore, apathy is contagious. There is a collective immunity from punishment inherent in the majority – if everyone does it, we can’t get in trouble, right? – that makes taking an unpopular stance even harder. In the past, things were different. Without nearly as much pressure to conform to a narrow definition of success measured by college admissions letters and future salaries, Andover students demonstrated against the Vietnam War and even got into a brawl with townies in YEAR after students wearing pro-peace armbands were refused service at a downtown coffee-shop. Now, the threat of a DC and inevitable awkward explanations to prospective colleges keeps students from radical acts. On a less extreme level, the same pervasive message of “play by the rules, or you won’t make it” keeps students from actively standing up to the administration. No student wants his teachers, house counselors, and Cluster Dean to know that he’s leading the campaign to protect rule-breakers. In fact, in writing this article, I fear the stigma associated with defending the so-called “bad apples” will reflect negatively on my efforts over the past year at The Phillipian. Apathy would be easier, but ignoring the issue just makes things worse in the long run. Now, you may not agree with me. Some might consider this self-defense from a student who has already faced disciplinary action for drinking. But if you care about the future of Phillips Academy, you’ll take this message to heart. It doesn’t matter if you support or detest the administration’s decision right now, but letting Andover head down the slippery slope to a place where the students have lost their voice would be doing a disservice to the place that has made us who we are. If you think the breathalyzer will help student welfare, speak up. Discuss this with your friends in Commons, in the dorms, or on the walk to class. Similarly, if you’re worried about the implications of such a device, make those concerns known. If no one will stand up for future generations of PA students, then it appears the school has failed at one of its central goals – taking youth from every quarter and turning them into selfless, well-meaning citizens.
