Volume 125 Issue 108
kansan.com
Monday. April 22. 2013
ROLLING STONED ON 4/20
HANNAH BARLING
HAPPY 'HOLIDAZE'
HANNAH BARLING
hbarling@kansan.com
Ashley Martin celebrated the "holidaze" this weekend with friends by relaxing in a mellow atmosphere. The Shawnee sophomore has smoked marijuana since she was a sophomore in high school. She has celebrated 4/20 multiple times and said now it's more of a chill thing for her to do with friends who enjoy the same pastime as her.
April 20, also known as 4/20, has become a national day of smoking for weed enthusiasts. Martin said that she usually tries to ration out her stash to stay productive during
the school week,
but Saturday was different.
She said she bought
more and wanted
to share with all
of her friends.
Martin is diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and said that she thinks smoking help
dents from San Rafael High School in California in the '70s.
The Waldos — a group of friends named after its meeting spot at a wall outside the school — coined the term in 1971. The article also said all five students were athletes and would meet up after practice each day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke.
The term spread after becoming a code for smoking within the group. One of the Waldos' parents took care of real estate for the Grateful Dead. Because of the connection, the Waldos had access to Grateful Dead parties and rehearsals. Steve Capper, one of the Waldos, said in the article that the teenag-
said the Naismith RAs are more lenient about their residents smoking marijuana inside the dorm than the RAS at Corbin. The residents know they're lenient and aren't afraid, she said.
"A lot of the time I get anxious and smoking helps calm me and my thoughts down," Martin said.
Nineteen states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical reasons. Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational uses also, according to procon.org.
The procedure for disciplining residents who smoke marijuana in the dorms is an instant write-up. Banks said the first write-up is basically a warning, but two write-ups result in 10 hours of community service.
Douglas County is ranked among the top-five county leaders of marjuana possession in Kansas, according to an article on drug-science.org. The report also said that marijuana made up 60 percent of drug-related arrests in Kansas in 2007.
Banks said the RAs try not to connect students' parents on the first offense in order to teach them responsibility.
There have been several rumors about how 4/20 started, but according to Huffington Post, the term traces back to five high school stu-
"A lot of time I get anxious and smoking helps calm me and my thoughts down."
ASHLEY MARTIN
Sophomore from Shawnee
ers would always be backstage and would use the phrase. Capper said when someone would pass a joint, they would say "Hey, 4:20," and it caught on through the community.
Marijuana use
is illegal in Kansas, but that doesn't stop people from smoking. Amber Banks, a senior from Broadview, Ill., lives at Naismith Hall.
Banks lived in Corbin Residence Hall her freshman year and said there weren't very many times she smelled marijuana in the dorm. She
Despite the 4/29 holiday
past weekend, Banks said she didnt notice an increase in marijuana use in the dorm.
According to a national survey on drug use and health by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality in 2009, 26.9 percent of Kansans between 18 and 25 years old have smoked marijuana in the past year. Of those surveyed, 14 percent of the age group reported marijuana usage within the last month, a 1 percent increase from 2008.
Colorado law states that people 21 and older may possess one ounce or less of marijuana and marijuana accessories for personal use, according to regulatemarijuana.org. Colorado residents may also grow up to six plants if the products stay on the premises they are grown on and are not made available for sale. Smoking weed in public places and driving under the influence remain illegal.
About 18 percent of adults in the country between the ages of 18 and 25 reported to have used marijuana within the last month, about a 1 percent increase from the previous year.
Washington legalized possession and distribution of marijuana of up to one ounce or less for adults 21 and older, according to csmonitor.com. Smoking weed in public and driving under the influence also remains illegal in this state.
Edited by Tara Bryant
Source: SAMISA, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2009 and 2016 (Revised March 2012).
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
April 20, or 4/20, is known as National Weed Day. It is a social holiday where participants hang out with friends and injest marianauna.
CAMPUS
Students display South Asian culture at Jayhawk Jhalak
JENNA JAKOWATZ
iiakowatz@kansan.com
Robert Czyz, a senior from Chicago, didn't look quite right for the part of emcee for Jayhawk Jhalak, the South Asian Student Association's annual talent show.
Czyz's emcee counterpart, Viraj Amin, a recent graduate from Shawnee, even joked that Czyz was the first white emcee the talent show has had.
Even though Czyz doesn't have any South Asian heritage, he has attended the talent show since he was a freshman to experience a culture he hadn't be exposed to.
Czyz first learned about the event through Amin because the two were roommates his freshman year.
"You get to experience a different culture, hear different music and learn from it." Czvz said.
Amin was a member of the South Asian Student Association
Jayhawk Jhalak invited performers of all types to showcase their talents to an audience at the Lawrence Arts Center Sunday afternoon.
for the four years he attended the University and is still active in the group today.
"This is an opportunity for people to see a different style of music, fashion, dance and culture that you wouldn't normally see." Amin said.
Patel is a member of KU Jeeva, a competitive fusion dance team. KU Jeeva closed out the talent show with one choreographed piece featuring several different styles of舞 mixed together.
Seema Patel, a junior from Topeka, was one of those performers.
Patel performed in last year's talent show and said this year's had a much larger turnout. "Jayhawk Jhalak is important because
in America, we all come from different backgrounds," Patel said. "This is a way to keep our culture alive."
The fashion show that followed Ravi featured fashion styles popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The show opened with the Lawrence KI Lailas, a freshman dance team, and then led into dance ensemble Papu KI Lau Story, and then singer Anjeli Ravi.
After a short intermission, there were two singing acts and three more dance acts to round out the afternoon. All of the dance performers wore South Asian attire.
Czyz said the talent show has grown immensely from when he first saw it as a freshman.
Performers strike a pose during the fashion show act in the Jayhawk Jalak on Sunday at the Lawrence Arts Center. The University South Asian Student Association presents the show every year to celebrate South Asian culture.
ERIN BREMER/KANSAN
"It left a great first impression on me, and that's why I keep coming back," Czyz said.
Edited by Allison Hammond
**Index**
CLASSIFIEDS 10 CRYPTOQUIPS 5 SPORTS 12
CROSSWIDTH 5 OPINION 4 SUDOKU 5
All contents; unless stated otherwise, © 2013 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
There are only four weeks of school left. Get started on those final projects.
Today's Weather
Mostly clod with a 0.10 percent chance of rain, south southeast winds at 10 to 15 mph.
Watch out for the storms!