Student group pushes to overturn federal law
Adam Croce, Assistant News Editor
Issue date: 10/24/02 Section: News
10/24/02 - The Students for a Sensible Drug Policy Hope Chapter (SSDP) is gathering support in its bid to help overturn a federal law that prevents students with a drug conviction from obtaining financial aid.
To date SSDP has collected more than 500 signatures. The group hopes that official endorsements by URI and Brown University will persuade U.S. Reps. James Langevin and Patrick Kennedy to support the effort.
Tom Angel, President of URI's SSDP Hope Chapter is optimistic about the whole campaign. "We have a lot of support from students and faculty, including Dr. Carothers and Dom Murgo," Angel said. "We also are excited to have substantial assistance from similar campaigns at Brown University."
Angel is confident that SSDP's efforts are worthwhile saying, "people support us because they know that blocking access to education won't solve our nations drug problems."
Murgo said, "I fully support SSDP and their efforts. The senate will help them out along the way."
At least one university official backs the current policy. Enrollment Services Director, Harry Amaral, said, "I don't have any qualms with the current policy." Amaral said about the University's stance on current drug reform policy is that, "we enforce the law."
SSDP is working to increase drug policy awareness on campus. I recently ran a booth in the Memorial Union and collected signatures of supportive students while they educated the public about drug policy reform facts.
SSDP is continuing a campaign that seeks to give students with drug convictions access to federal student aid by raising support for a bill known as H.R. 786 in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed the bill would repeal the provision prohibiting persons convicted of drug offenses from receiving student financial assistance. There were no restrictions prohibiting students with drug convictions from receiving aid until 1998.
That is when U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) successfully pushed for a bill to block students with drug convictions from getting financial aid.
To date SSDP has collected more than 500 signatures. The group hopes that official endorsements by URI and Brown University will persuade U.S. Reps. James Langevin and Patrick Kennedy to support the effort.
Tom Angel, President of URI's SSDP Hope Chapter is optimistic about the whole campaign. "We have a lot of support from students and faculty, including Dr. Carothers and Dom Murgo," Angel said. "We also are excited to have substantial assistance from similar campaigns at Brown University."
Angel is confident that SSDP's efforts are worthwhile saying, "people support us because they know that blocking access to education won't solve our nations drug problems."
Murgo said, "I fully support SSDP and their efforts. The senate will help them out along the way."
At least one university official backs the current policy. Enrollment Services Director, Harry Amaral, said, "I don't have any qualms with the current policy." Amaral said about the University's stance on current drug reform policy is that, "we enforce the law."
SSDP is working to increase drug policy awareness on campus. I recently ran a booth in the Memorial Union and collected signatures of supportive students while they educated the public about drug policy reform facts.
SSDP is continuing a campaign that seeks to give students with drug convictions access to federal student aid by raising support for a bill known as H.R. 786 in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed the bill would repeal the provision prohibiting persons convicted of drug offenses from receiving student financial assistance. There were no restrictions prohibiting students with drug convictions from receiving aid until 1998.
That is when U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) successfully pushed for a bill to block students with drug convictions from getting financial aid.
