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www.redandblack.com TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2010 Vol. n8, No. 21 | Athens. Gborgia
Prescription drug use widespread, dangerous
By MICHAEL PROCHASKA
The Red & Black
The abuse of prescrip
tion drugs is one of college
campuses’ best kept
secrets.
Pharmaceutical pills
don’t require a wet towel
under a door, open win
dows or even mellow neigh
bors. A single pop and it’s
as if that pill had never
existed.
With more than 50 mil
lion teenagers diagnosed
with Attention Deficit
Disorder, it's a painless
effort to find a friend who
can supply.
Zak Vaudo, a junior from
Marietta and former
Adderall consumer, was
one of those kids.
"Adderall definitely
helped me focus,” said
Vaudo, who was diagnosed
with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder at
the age of eight. “It also
did a bunch of things I
wasn’t very fond of but it
definitely helped me
focus.”
Vaudo was on Adderall
for eight years and although
he was left unbothered by
illegal drug users in high
school, Vaudo said there
would be a demand at the
University if he still used
Adderall.
“Given the number of
people that I have become
friends and acquaintances
with at the University of
Georgia, at least one of
them would want to use
it," he said.
Brianna Riley, a senior
public relations major from
Marietta, witnessed first
hand the effects of abusing
Adderall when her friends
began taking it as a diet
pill.
She said that when her
friends were taking the
drug, they behaved far dif
ferently than they normally
did.
“When they are on it,
they’re kind of cracked out
— like they’re really hyper,
and also they lose their
appetite," Riley said. “They
wouldn’t eat for like a day.”
Though some students
abuse Adderall in order to
help them lose weight,
other students may use the
drug in order to help out
with studying and academ
ics.
“I’ve had a few friends
who used them for study
ing,” said Philip
Brettschneider, a fourth
year anthropology major
from Marietta. “They
improve your memory.
They improve your concen
tration. It’s similar to
drinking coffee beforehand
— Just a little more
potent.”
Despite good intentions
and beneficial results,
Adderall is still dangerous
and illegal without the
authorization of a doctor.
“We know there has
been this concept on cam
pus in general on using
See DRUGS, Page 3
By POLINA MARINOVA
The Red & Black
Editor’s Note: Last year, The
Red & Black began compiling
crime data to create an online
crime map. For this series —
which will be featured on
Tuesdays — toe took that crime
data and found the 10 most crime-
ridden residential streets in
Athens-Clarke County. With Jan.
1 as our starting date, we tallied
the crimes on the streets of the
University's home county to cre
ate our list. Though crime is
always happening, and the list
may change over time, we contin
ue with Rocksprings Court!Street.
esidents of the Rocksprings
community were silent.
When asked about crime
in their neighborhood, several
residents refused to comment.
However, Jessyca Barnett —
who has lived in the community
for three years — wasn't surprised
to hear Rocksprings is considered
a dangerous area.
“I know about a man that got
cut up right there," said Barnett.
“He got cut up real bad talking
junk. He got sliced up.”
Since January, there have been
a total of 23 crimes reported at
the area of Rocksprings Court/
Rocksprings Street.
The Rocksprings Court/Street
area has hosted 12 batteries, four
assaults, one stalking, one rob
bery, one robbery by force, one
theft, one theft by taking, one
theft or loss of mislaid property
and one entering auto.
Rocksprings Court is the loca
tion of Rocksprings Homes — an
Athens Housing Authority neigh
borhood.
Rocksprings primarily houses
senior adults and working-class
individuals.
“Often times, when crime does
occur, it occurs perpetrated by
outsiders on our customers,” said
J. Richard Parker, executive direc
tor of the Athens Housing
Authority. “Our customers are
more likely to be victims than
perpetrators.”
A University student was also a
victim of crime at Baxter and
Rocksprings Streets on May 19.
According to the Athens-
Clarke County Police, the student
was “jumped” by two males who
stole his cell phone, IPod and
cash.
In an effort to prevent crime,
Athens Housing Authority has
See CRIME, Page 2
See more photos, video, documents and a crime timeline on our website.
WC> BLANKENSHIP T». R>» .Bur.
Jessyca Barnett (Left) and Dreca Davenport discuss living in the Rocksprings community.
ONLINE
Police Documents
CRIME NOTEBOOK
Student’s
humane act
comes back
to bite him
Some wild animals just don’t
know how to show gratitude.
Instead of receiving a gift or
even a proper thank you for offer
ing a helping hand to a bat found
struggling on the ground outside
the Miller Student Learning
Center, University student Tyler
Wayne Reed. 21, was bitten on the
left ring finger at 6:15 p.m. on Sept.
12, according to the University
Police report.
Despite bats’ common associa
tion with vampires and other
bloodthirsty creatures, Reed told
The Red & Black the animal
looked “cute.”
“Kind of like a mouse with
wings,” he said. “Against the
[behest] of my friends that were
there, I started petting him. He
was really chill.”
Reed then attempted to help
his friend in need by placing him
somewhere he could fly away.
“I went to pick him up," Reed
said, “but he turned around and
bit me and wouldn’t let go. So I
was like ‘Forget you. If you’re going
to bite me I’m not going to help.’”
Fearing the animal may be
rabid, Reed took the bat home
See CRIME NOTEBOOK, Page 2
Top recruit a
main priority
for Georgia
By MITCH BLOMERT
The Red & Black
If there’s any way to turn a his
torically mediocre basketball team
into a rising force on the national
H scene, it is bringing
in one of the elite
high school players
in the country.
The Georgia bas
ketball team may
have done that, and
his name is
Kentavious Caldwell.
Caldwell, a senior
CALDWELL at Greenville High
School in western
Georgia, is the first commitment in
the Bulldogs' 2011 class, and his
credentials may make him one of
the best the program has seen in
years.
Rated a 5-star prospect by
See RECRUIT, Page 7
Neighborhood may need ‘cleaning up’
sunny.
High 921 Low 93
BUSY BEE
Where's
Mikey?
The president
will attend an 6 p.m.
wind ensemble at
the Hodgson Concert
Hall Should be a
high flutin' good
time!
The top dog for
Creative Loafing
has a lot to say
about the future
of journalism.
Page 6
Index
News
Opinions
APP-LETINI?
n Get the latest
drink specials
in the palm of
your hand.
Page 5
.2 Variety 6
. 4 Sports 7
ONLINE ORGANICS
A website
allows
customers to
order locally
grown foods.
Page 3
Crossword 2
Sudoku 7
v
— e
