The winds are brutal in Oswego and it’s 4:20, so a student decides to smoke marijuana in their dorm room. Ten minutes later, the hall director and the police are at the door. In panic, the student sprays cheap cologne to mask the smell, but it’s too late.
Many Oswego State students face this kind of situation when they decide to commit illegal activities in student housing facilities. According to The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool, the Oswego State campus has a median of 46 arrests in student housing from 2012 to 2014.
One Oswego State junior, who wished to remain anonymous, said he uses marijuana.
“I smoke because I had the choice of drinking and smoking and I tried both and didn’t like drinking, plus the after-effects of marijuana aren’t bad,” the student said.
Smoking in all forms is banned on campus.
University Police Lt. Matthew Barbeau said the penalty for smoking marijuana can be severe.
“A charge of criminal possession of marijuana more than 25 grams on a person, or if you’re found smoking in public, that would become a B misdemeanor,” Barbeau said. “It bumps up from a violation to a misdemeanor based on the amount of marijuana on you, or if you’re actually seen smoking it in public it would be bumped as an actual crime, where a violation technically isn’t considered a crime, it’s a violation of law.”
Many students feel that smoking marijuana should not be treated as a serious offense.
“People who smoke usually use weed to relax, reduce anxiety, to eat, etc.,” the anonymous junior said. “People who smoke are not using the drug to harm anyone or anything.”
Richard Kolenda, assistant vice president of Residence Life and Housing, said the number of arrests has been over the three decades he has been at Oswego State.
“I’m not surprised at the numbers. We have impressed upon our staff over time to make sure that they are confronting this,” Kolenda said. “There is an expectation from our staff that they will do that and report and follow up with that.”
An Oswego State senior experienced the consequences of smoking in her room on campus.
She moved to the Village and said she thought it would be easier to smoke there.
“I mean, we have high ceilings and I live on the top floor,” the senior said. “I was pretty confident that smoking here and there would be a breeze. I was wrong”
Her smoke alarm went off, which led to the arrival of the police. The senior said her marijuana and paraphernalia were confiscated.
“I was so scared,” the student said. “I kept thinking that I was going to get expelled, my mom would kill me and what I would tell my housemates. I ended up having to take a class, which cost $25, as well as it staying on my record while at school. It could have been a lot worse, so for all who do smoke, just go outside. It’s not worth it to chance it.”
