Two anonymous students have reported symptoms of date-rape drug ingestion to members of Residential Life.
Assistant Director of Residential Life Julie Barnes said information regarding the who, where, and when is "confidential." Several proctors refused to volunteer information regarding the claims.
According to Dean of Student Affairs Craig Bradley, the incidents were separate and one of the students is a first year. Bradley said that an RA or proctor contacted someone, probably Director of Residential Life Kim Pucelli. The Orient made repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact Pucelli Thursday.
"We don't have a documented case," said Bradley. However, symptoms described by Dudlely Coe Health Center's Dr. Jeff Benson are consistent with the accounts, Bradley said.
"The symptoms include feeling impaired, despite having drunk moderately, and having an awful day after-the worst hangover you could imagine," Bradley said.
He said the students were most likely unaware of each other's experience and that he believes the incidents happened on separate weekends. In both instances the students were not taken advantage of and went home with friends, Bradley said.
Bradley sent an email to all students yesterday warning that "Rohypnol, GHB, or Ketamine" might be present on campus. Residential Life also recently sent an email to proctors telling them to encourage students to look out for the drugs.
"It appears there is a person out there putting drugs in people's drinks and we want people to be aware," said Bradley.
Mayflower Apartments RA Ruth Morrison '07 said the Residential Life staff discussed the incidents at last week's meeting. "They told us to be on the ball more than usual," she said.
Director of Bowdoin College Security Bruce Boucher said no one had officially reported any incidents to College Security.
A representative of the Brunswick Police found no reports under "date," "rape," or "drug," for Bowdoin students during a computer search.
Last year there were anonymous reports of two incidents of "forcible sex" offenses at Bowdoin, according to the Right to Know Report. The Report can be viewed at the Bowdoin Security web site, and says, "In accordance with the Federal Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act (Clery Act, S. 580), each institution of higher education is required to annually prepare a Uniform Campus Crime Report (UCCR) consistent with the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCR) system. The report is to reflect the crime statistics on the property of the institution."
Forcible sex could include someone being "incabable of giving consent," according to the report. Students under the influence of date-rape drugs would likely fall into this category.
"The Clery Act takes into account statistics that are not reported to security," said Boucher. Because the Right to Know Report includes "blind reporting," cases can go on the record without the specific details needed to trigger an investigation, said Boucher.
In this case, he said he only knew about the emails being sent to all students.
"If Security receives information that can be verified as a threat to students on campus, we send out an email alert," said Boucher.
According to the National Institute of Justice in 2000, a college campus with 10,000 females should statistically have 350 rapes a year. That would mean approximately 29 incidents of rape a year at Bowdoin.
Asked whether such statistics are of concern at Bowdoin, where no incidents have officially been reported in the last two years, Bradley said, "There is a fair bit being done to help break the silence."
"We feel very strongly about it," he said. "I think it would make for a better climate if more incidents were reported. People would be aware that justice will be served. Until we have a case reported, there is no way for folks to develop that confidence," he said. "I have confidence it would be handled effectively."
In his email to all students, Bradley wrote, "The use of these drugs undermines the very fabric of our community and constitutes criminal activity."