The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 13, 1987, Page 2, Image 2
Focus
2 Friday, February 13, 1987
Student van
Editor's note: Two (JSC students recently had some
trouble with the law. In an interview Thursday, they
said they hope that by telling their experience they
can curtail petty vandalism in the future by (JSC
students. For their protection, they will be called
Joe and John.
By JULIET NADER
Senior reporter
Joe and John said they were just two average college
students who had a little too much to drink and
started getting ideas in their heads.
They pulled what they called a typical college
prank, such as stealing a street sign or spraypainting
some inspirational message all over the student
center, but this time it was different.
Instead of feeling the excitement and gratification
of making their mark, they said they felt the
twisting pang in their stomachs of fear and nervousness
? they got caught.
BUT THESE guys were also different in another
way; they were given a break. They said they were
given a second chance because of their clean record,
a recognition of where thev went wronc and a will
ingncss to changc.
They want other students to know what they faced
is reality and can happen to anyone. What
students don't realize may catch up with them, and
they hope others can learn from their experience.
John said bad attitudes often stem from the past
and come together according to what students think
they can and can't do and what "you can get away
with." He said once students get into the college atmosphere
they often abandon all they've learned.
"You're just a student, just a college student," he
said.
JOE ALSO said students often glamorize
negative stereotypes they've seen. "Sometimes
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you're in the frame of mind where like, 'Hey,
Bclushi did it,' you know, the 'Animal House' type
of thing," he said.
If someone is having a good time, Joe said,
they're not going to say, "Wait a minute, stop,"
then mull over all the possible results of their
actions.
That's what happened the day they got in trouble,
and they said they now realize how important it is to
think before acting. "You've cot to have some kind
of back-up system in your head that says don't do
it, regardless," Joe said.
JOE SAID he never even imagined he would get
in trouble. He remembered watching television
police shows and seeing people being fingerprinted,
thinking that only happened to felons. "To put
. myself in that position just by a lack of thinking for
a short period of time was beyond my comprehension,"
he said. "It was like a nightmare."
John agreed, "What happened in five minutes
we've been living six months." But they said,if the
circumstances had been different, the consequences
could've been a lot worse.
"Under even more extreme circumstances your
average college student, not thinking, starts
something off but is in no way prepared to finish
it," said John.
JOE AND John said they want to make sure
other students don't make the same mistakes they
did. The adviee they offer includes making the
realization they are as susceptible as anyone else to
being caught.
"Don't do the first little thing wrong or the first
big thing wrong because it ledds to bigger things,"
John said.
"Crime is something that everybody thinks is bad
and no one wants to be a part of, but then they see
actually what's happening and they know they
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Joe and John avoided going to jail, but thay might
not have.
could be a part of it in the wrong circumstances,"
he added.
THE USC students said they want to reach even
the "guy in engineering who got a 4.0 and wants to
co out and celebrate." warnine the celebrations
could get out of hand.
"I don't think I was the most mature person
when I was drunk; I don't think I am all the time,"
said Joe, "I think that's definitely a cop-out, and
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that's something you let yourself get into. But at the
same time, you've still got to think when you've
done that to yourself."
Joe and John said students often don't realize the
extent of the rcpurcussions. They said something
"stupid" like an open container of alcohol on a
road trip is a permanent mark on someone's record
and could hinder one's career.
FORTUNATELY, JOE and John were given a
chance to redeem themselves through the Pre-trial
Intervention program. PTI is a program which
allows a first-time offender to erase a criminal
charge from their record by doing 20 hours of community
service, paying a S200 fee and taking a tour
of Central Correctional Institute, where they talk
with inmates. r
Before they could go through the program, they
had to get approval from the arresting officer, a
PTI counselor and a USC administrator.
John said PTI is an option many students don't
know about and is an excellent deterrent. "It makes
you aware of what you're doing. By talking to inmates
you realize how close you are to them," he
said.
JOE AND John said they heard about all the
hardships the inmates suffered because of some
seemingly unfair situations. John told the story of a
woman who shot her husband in self-defense and is
now serving time. "Something like that just blows
your mind ? how close you arc to jail," he said.
After going through this program, they said they
not only changed their points of view, but also those
of their friends. They said their friends who also
had the habit of stealing things such as firewood
and plants have begun to pause and ponder their
actions.
"As far as our realm of friends, I've seen it
decrease a lot, just bccause of our example."
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