This Week in Amherst History

Twenty-five years ago this week, a routine search of dorm rooms during Spring Break uncovered massive amounts of Valentine property, including hundreds of glasses and plates, as well as a large number of marijuana plants. During the search, Campus Police felt it was their duty to seize the plants upon spotting them, confiscating plants ranging from four inches to four feet in height. According to the officers, they were “disposed of properly.”

Students were outraged by the campus-wide “pot plant raid.” They were annoyed at the loss of their beloved plants and were surprised that there had been no warning about the search. “Last year they let people know before they came around taking them,” said one student. Only 60 percent of the rooms were hit due to the tedious and time-consuming nature of the search.

Many students were baffled at the security guards’ attitude toward the illegality of their property, having previously enjoyed the College’s seemingly lenient policy. One student, whose four three-foot-long plants were deflowered, was furious and said, “Since when has Amherst stuck to legalities where pot is concerned?”