Housing & Residence Life, security discuss drug violations, consequences for students caught with drugs on campus

Cheney Mason/Winonan

There is one issue on college campuses that seems to plague residence halls, and this sometimes minor issue has a presence at Winona State University. Although students at Winona State are told there are no exceptions to illegal substances such as drugs on campus, there are still cases of students breaking the rules.

Consequences with drug use can be harmful to not only a student’s well being, but it can also interrupt their college experience and can result in students having residence privileges revoked.

Student Holly Loberg, from Housing & Residence Life, said she has not heard much about students and drug use at Winona State.

“I’d say Winona State is pretty good. I don’t hear about it often, I don’t see it often,” Loberg said.

Associate Director of Housing and Residence Life, Candice Guenther, said compared to previous years this semester’s reports of drug use have decreased.

“Compared to the previous two years, our numbers so far this year are showing a decrease in the amount of reported cases,” Guenther said.

Loberg said she feels that illegal substances in the residence halls are not worth the consequences.

“It is a zero tolerance policy. If there are drugs found in your room, your housing contract can be gotten rid of,” Loberg said.

Housing and Residence Life takes drug offenses seriously and has strict rules students in dorm halls must follow.

Termination of housing agreement is expected as well as education sanction and restriction from residence halls.

Kaylee Defusco from Winona State Security said drugs are an issue on campus, and she has personally dealt with illegal substances during multiple occurrences in the residence halls.

“If we know of someone who has something in their room we basically go in, talk to them and it usually ends with us going through the room and removing the illegal substances,” Defusco said. “After we confiscate what we find, we do a report and notify the hall director.”

All paraphernalia, after dealt with by Winona State Security, is then handed over to Director of Security Donald Walski.

From what Defusco has seen and dealt with, she feels illegal substances are not only a concern in Winona itself but on campus especially.

If illegal substances are suspected in residence halls or on campus, contact Winona State Security or a Resident Assistant for further assistance.