On Jan. 27, students at Castleton State College were informed via e-mail that one of our fellow students had been drugged, “most likely” at a local bar. Past that, nothing else has really been said about the incident, leaving a lot to be wondered. Who would do that? Were there any further charges? What exactly did “most likely” mean in the e-mail?For starters, it’s safe to say that there’s no defending the perpetrator of this crime. Drugging someone (by a drink or otherwise) is absolutely inexcusable, and anyone who even attempts such a thing should feel the full extent of the law.

Now that that’s out of the way, there are active countermeasures that people can take against creeps like the one who did this. My question is, were these measures taken? The girl claims that she was with her boyfriend, but if that’s the case, why was this able to happen in the first place? The only real opportunity for someone to drug a drink would be if it was left unattended, and if the girl had someone that she trusts with her, this scenario should never have even presented itself.

While the details on the event are scarce, it is still obvious that this happening was an atrocity, as are all issues like this. It’s a relief that there wasn’t also an attempted assault (as there usually is with cases of this nature), which we can all be thankful for. This fact may be attributed to the presence of the boyfriend.

It’s a shame, however, that this isn’t unexpected. It seems that reports of drinks being drugged can be found almost everywhere, and it’s a wonder that we all haven’t become more aware. Perhaps we all just think, “That would never be me,” so we never actually take measures to prevent the threat. The victim has told her story in an effort to change this mindset, which might be just what the community needs to hear.

Amidst all this anonymity and vagueness, the only thing we can say about this with any certainty is that it should raise everyone’s awareness. If you go out drinking, go with friends you trust. Never leave your drink anywhere, and if you do, leave it with one of your friends. There’s no rule saying you can’t be careful and have fun at the same time. This is a fact that the college community needs to realize, and if we can all do that, then we may never get an e-mail like this again.