Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Studeri He could have been a teacher for all seasons. His conservative brown suit would have made him ideal for the 1950's high school prom. His hair reached the top of his ears, making him okay as an entrant of the sixties. And what made him a part of the seventies? Nothing you could see about him, but something he has been doing for more than a year. Something that was mostly unheard of a year ago. But something that is more widespread than most people believe. Something that could cost him his job and probably put him in jail. Mr. X the teacher is a drug seller, one of at least four on the USC campus, he said. Mr. X is not his real name of course. He paused often before speaking. When he did speak, he spoke in staccato clips. He came from another university and says he has been here "for more than a year and less than 25. - Paranoia is not an abstract for all people," he said. He admits he doesn't look like the stereotype of the hardened pusher, but his entrance into selling drugs was easy, he said. "I started the second semester I was here. I went to a party with (he names another teacher) - and a lot of students were there. "Grass was being smoked. I smoked some--not my first time. I had done it in college-and bought some for later use. Some girl asked me at the party if she could borrow some on credit and pay me back later. I said, yes, of course-after all, she was sort of good looking. "So, I sort of forgot about her until one day I was alone in my office and she walked in. She told me she didn't have any money but she had some "uppers" (am phetamines) and, if I liked, she would pay me with some of them. I took them, figuring I would throw them away since I had no use for them. "I sort of left them laying around the apartment. One night, I had D Jerry sellsi His route Is a one thing: wh comes in. "i get a new 1,000 amps (O every six wee "The guys that usually get the city source." Jerry's rout ends in a univei He never has campus. "I have pbou big customers than 100," he se to them, I keer 300 and sell quantities of al don't know to'1 sts buy 'Started s some students come over for a session concerning the upcoming exams-you know, one of those get togethers where students ask the teacher about things they had covered during the semester. "Well, some of them got to complaining about how hard exams were and how much studying they had to do. Someone said something about needing some pills--the rest is history. Since then I've been involved in trafficking, but I'm not a pusher," Mr. X said. Mr. X doesn't sell but three drugs. "I sell uppers, grass and hashish," he said. "I don't deal in anything else because it's too dangerous-for both myself and the user." He doesn't consider am phetamines dangerous because "they're only used for exams, not much else." "I don't use uppers myself," he em and: am phetam ines. riented around en the supply upply of about imphetam ines) ks" he said. bring them in m from a big e begins and -sity dormitory. to leave the seven or eight who buy more ild. "After I sell Sthe remaining them in small >out 20 or 30. I hnml or where from ti I a party' explained, "because I'm not tinder the pressure that students are." Although about 10 students know of his selling, Mr. X said only two other teachers know about it. "One of them sells stuff like I do and the other knows because he's a friend of mine. But he doesn't sell. \lthogether, I know of three teachers who sell or have sold to students. One of them works in my department." Mr. X said the reason teachers could get away with selling dt'gs was that "we are probably some of the most trusted members of society, for we speak of truth and nothing less. Or so the gods say." Though teachers do have petty differences and, in some cases major squabbles, they also trust each other, he said. "The faculty's attitude is basically one of indifference until drugs get in~thewa.y of a student understanding the professor's sacred teaching," Mr. X said. S so hig my big buyers sell their stuff." He usually runs out of amps two weeks before his next supply comes in. "Yeah, this is a booming business. I always sell out before my next supply is In. I would guess I make at least $500 a semester. But I really don't keep track because I spend it so fast." he said. "I know one guy that made about $2,000 a year," Jerry continued. "However, he put his money to good use; he put himself through school with it." Where did Jerry get his money to start off buyIng amps? "My father gave It to me for high school aacher "Then they get uptight. Some older members, however, get a little tight-lipped and stonefaced when other teachers talk ap provingly of grass." Mr. X said the administration had even less of an idea about the teacher as a drug seller. "They haven't the faintest idea that professors have anything to do with drugs. They're too concerned about the medical school thing, which is sort of funny because the medical school could become a primary source for smuggling drugs to the public. That is, if the right people get to work there." Mr. X is the "right person" here at USC for his "10 friends" because not only does he sell them the drugs they want, but he also gives them better grades. "Their grades depend on how much they buy. No, no, not really," he said laughing. "Generally, I give the people who buy from me and are in my class above a "C" because I have found that drug users seem to be more intelligent than the average student because they are socially aware." Mr. X also said he considers himself socially aware. h,pusl graduation." Jerry said, hov really didn't start se until midway thr sophomore year. "I was going to money and buy a bi But then one week a on campus, who i supplier got busted the money to take I "It took a long tin actually took his pla the suppliers had to okay. If you look ba old Gamecock pa could find out who took," Jerry said. Jerry started rec supply two months other guy was busti Gamec< nvesi Tea r Heroin pay 'made add "He was an obvious junkie; he had long sleeves on during the summer. He looked pale and sick, very nervous, with tracks between his fingers," Mike said, as he described a heroin addict at a "heroin party." Mike's description is not unique; many students who have been in the drug scene illustrated numerous examples of the heroin addict. Mike, who says he isn't down on all drugs, said that what was unique about the situation was that many of the addicts were even sickened by what happened. In Mike's words: "In the center of the room there was this guy heating up some icr mak afraid to ever, he didn't ki Ilung drugs however, ough his route. "I usuali keep that cents each ke with it. from well I dude here Jerry said. vas a big and I had For Jerra ~is place. begins the ie before I receives hi ce because up the phor see if I was customer: ck in some "Hey, I gi pers, you says, very se place I hear alot(< phones beir eiving his let an'ythil after the conversatic ad. "I was Fi f teen