Craig Daily Press

Craig — He is handsome. He is smart. He is dedicated.

She is beautiful. She is smart. She is dedicated.

He is your boyfriend. She is your best friend.

They are dedicated to drugs, and you are dedicated to them.

Each time they get closer to you, their addiction pulls them farther away.

He makes you feel like you’re the only one, but there are two.

She tells you that you know all her deepest secrets, but you don’t.

You do not know, because their lives were taken before you could.

But I want you to know.

This story is the reason that 75 San Diego State University students were arrested last week for drug trafficking, the largest drug bust in San Diego history. Someone knew. A nine-month undercover investigation on several fraternities of the university started after the death of a 19-year-old freshman girl last year and another college male this spring.

This university is 10 miles up the interstate from the university that I attend here in San Diego. Although this does not directly affect me, as a sorority member and college student, I become labeled.

And so does every college student. Labeled as irresponsible, carefree, and immature.

Drug abuse is not a secret in college, but not everyone does them.

Still, it is a problem. And each time it becomes less of a secret, the drug abuse in college becomes more acceptable and labeled as just a growing-up stage.

I cannot accept this idea, the idea that the potential of one’s success can be striped away because of a substance.

A drug.

It can take away the president of your class, the valedictorian or the star athlete. It can take away everything. This is the reason the ‘it won’t happen to me excuse’ doesn’t work with drugs. And this recent drug bust acknowledges that. Drugs can’t hide.

And neither should you.

College is a time to blossom. You can become any flower you choose. Whether you provide the water and the light in order to grow is up to you. But most important, it is being that light and that water to someone else’s flower. Helping someone else blossom. And today I was. One of my best guy friends said to me, “You know MK, each time I see you, even if it’s only for a second, it makes my day much better and I can’t help but smile.”

Because of him, I grew a little bit that day.

This water and this light is living in the present but always having the future in mind. You choose to go to class, you choose your social life, and you choose your friends.

Starting college is like the first day of kindergarten, a new beginning. With kindergarten came the time to have spelling bees with shaving cream on the desks, learning how to spell my 11-letter last name, and make new friends.

My parents would tell me you are a product of your friends. Much like you are a product of your family, you are a product of your friends. Here in San Diego, my friends have become my family. With this, it is like we all have the same last name. We are all related to each other choices. Therefore, one bad choice of one of my friends can shadow my good choice. This is the reason I am so careful on choosing those I associate with.

He is handsome. He is smart. He is my friend.

She is beautiful. She is smart. She is my friend.

He makes me feel like I am the only one.

She tells me all her deepest secrets.

And we choose to be dedicated to each other.