By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief
The college house program at Gettysburg College gives students the opportunity to live in tight-knit communities united by a common interest or identity. The newest college house — Substance Abuse House — seeks to bring students looking to take the edge off together into one residential community.
“Here at Substance Abuse House, we don’t judge,” the house’s mission statement reads. “Feel like cracking open a cold beer on a Tuesday at eight in the morning? Go for it! Need a quick line before your econ midterm? We can help!”
Residential Education explained that given the rise of substance use on college campuses nationwide, they thought they could keep drug use under control if they made a house dedicated to it.
“We know students are gonna abuse drugs, so we thought that we might as well make it school-sanctioned,” explained the head of ResEd.
Colloquially referred to as “Drug House” by its residents, the house features a full kitchen, common room, four bathrooms and a basement with a suspiciously strong odor of marijuana.
“[The basement’s] just like, our private space, y’know?” commented House Leader Mary Jane ’25. “We are not growing or creating any illicit substances in the basement, for the record. But you still can’t go down there.”
Jane agreed to sit down for an interview with The Gettysburgian to discuss the house and the opportunities it creates for residents.
“Well, I had never tried shrooms before living here, so living here gave me that opportunity,” remarked Jane. “What other opportunities do we provide? We provide very mind-clearing house events that are really elevating experiences. Students love them.”
The house, which 16 students call home, has attracted a wide variety of residents — from the “California sober” to the full-blown alcoholic.
“Y’know… it’s actually not even alcoholism until AFTER you graduate,” said Tito “Grey Goose” Daniels ’26, who was described by a friend as Drug House’s “most alcohol-dependent alcoholic.”
Known around the house by the nickname “Grey Goose,” he earned his reputation after blacking out from chugging two 250ml bottles of Grey Goose vodka in less than five minutes.
In total, Drug House has been visited by emergency services eight times in the four months it has existed.
With the large amount of drug and alcohol violations coming out of Drug House, the future of the newest college house is now in question.
