JUST SAY NO!

Angelica Gajewski ’26

Contributing Writer

Picture this, it’s Friday night, you’re relieved to get off work. It has been arranged that tonight you will go over to a friend’s house, at which a few acquaintances have gathered around the kitchen counter. You make a round, circling the room, using greetings an an inconspicuous way to scan for refreshments. When suddenly, a gasp is heard, followed by “we should play a game!” The room begins to spin, your knees feel weak, but still, you must fight. With all your might, you bring up how the track coach married a former student, the recent election, and even point out the crusty white dog named Snowball now humping its bed in the corner of the entryway. Anything to divert the host’s attention. It’s no use, the host leaves only to return moments later with limp cardboard boxes. This is the horrific reality of how swiftly these assaults transpire, and it is happening to millions of Americans just like you and your children each year.

You likely know a victim of this epidemic, research shows in every five socializing Americans, there are at least two victims lost to card games each Friday night. Emerging figures also indicate a substantial link between the rise of card games and hard drug use. It’s time we revitalize Regan’s “Just Say No” campaign against a worthy threat.