The conceptions of Penn as being a conservative, preprofessional and anti-intellectual institution were challenged last night at a discussion about the decriminalization of drugs.
Urban Studies professor Eric Schneider and third-year Law student Harry Reisig aroused emotion in the approximately 85-person audience with their commentary on the controversial topic.
College junior and Latina sorority Lambda Theta Alpha member Cecilia Ramirez said that she was "surprised and impressed with the reaction, especially at Penn because it is a pretty conservative campus."
Reisig also claimed that the high level of attendance and participation in the discussion made him "feel so much better about being at Penn."
Reisig himself had much to do with the high level of excitement in the Jon M. Huntsman Hall lecture room.
Reisig passionately threw an anti-drug pamphlet published by the government on the floor after analyzing the way in which the government misquoted and misrepresented studies about marijuana to perpetuate its perception as a dangerous substance.
Few in the audience openly disagreed or engaged the issue of marijuana's dangers, but rather focused on the effects of the "war on drugs," often expressing outrage at the destructive effects it has on the black community.
The complexity of the issue was highlighted by African-American Studies lecturer Walter Palmer. Palmer questioned decriminalization activists' reasons for underscoring racial statistics, which show that blacks are disproportionately prosecuted.
He cautioned audience members to be aware of activists' motivations and cited moments in history when groups have used racial statistics to advance their own agendas.
Palmer gave the example of the way that women championed minority causes in order to gain suffrage.
Wharton freshman George Nesterenko, who says he follows the drug issue very closely, said that he had never thought about it from Palmer's perspective.
Engineering sophomore Laurence Bell echoed Nesterenko's praise of Palmer's insight. Bell said he appreciated Palmer's method of bringing activists' "true intentions to light."
Before the discussion ended and the audience began enjoying refreshments provided by sponsors La Casa Latina and Lambda Theta Alpha, Reisig encouraged attendees to get involved on the local level and to vote, saying, "Change happens. Change is possible."
