Pubdate: Fri, 16 Mar 2007
Source: Diamondback, The (U of MD Edu)
Copyright: 2007 Diamondback
Contact:  http://www.diamondbackonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/758
Author: Nathan Cohen and Ben Slivnik
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy)

SENATORS POISED TO WAGE POT FIGHT

A new crop of undergraduate student senators was voted into office 
yesterday, and a handful of them are poised to push a reduction of 
drug penalties through the university's most powerful policy-making 
body next year.

Anastacia Cosner, president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, 
campaigned on her desire to see penalties for marijuana use reduced 
from an A-level violation according to the Code of Student Conduct to 
a B-level violation, essentially putting it on par with the penalties 
students receive for on-campus alcohol consumption. She said she will 
be will be preparing to address the issue next fall.

Some of the new senators have already said they plan on supporting 
her cause when she submits a formal proposal. Their initiative will 
likely include an education campaign to inform faculty and staff on 
an issue that has become popular among students but controversial 
among administrators, Lewis said.

The issue has gained momentum since a Student Government Associate 
referendum that last year found 65 percent of the 4,376 students who 
voted in their election supported more lenient penalties. Since then, 
Cosner has led the issue through the Residence Hall Association-which 
last month passed legislation to lower pot penalties in dorms - and 
has lobbied delegates to support it.

As the Department of Resident Life decides the legislation's fate in 
the coming weeks, Cosner has pressured administrators to acceptthem. 
And her influence is beginning to spread with her fellow senators-elect.

"It's not a big deal," said junior psychology major Jason Lewis, who 
was elected to represent the College of Behavioral and Social 
Sciences. "We don't need to start pulling students off to jail for 
small marijuana possession. The police should have plenty of other 
things to deal with."

"Although the university has a responsibility to uphold the law, 
there seems to be no compelling need for them to pile on extra 
penalties," added junior philosophy major Greg Johnson, who was 
elected from the College of Arts and Humanities.

Still, the proposal doesn't have complete support from all the new senators.

"Regardless of how I feel about marijuana use, it's still an illegal 
substance," said junior communications and sociology major Melissa 
Morales of ARHU.

Lewis acknowledges that it will be an uphill battle to convince the 
faculty and staff members of the senate, who make up a majority of 
the roughly 140-member body. Students will need the help of SSDP and 
NORML if they are to enact a change in university policy. Some 
student issues are caught up the senate for years.

"It's a decisive issue, but 65 percent of the student population 
wanted it," Lewis said.

Cosner cautions, however, that a rally for reduced pot penalties is 
still a ways off.

"I don't think I would even think about writing a marijuana proposal 
until next year," said Cosner.

Until fall she plans on spending her time getting acquainted with 
senate procedures and other student issues, including a proposal that 
would subject students who receive probation before judgment in court 
to university sanctions, including expulsion or suspension.

Students from ten colleges and a part-time student were also elected 
to the senate. Only one school's election results went unresolved: 
The Journalism school's election ended in a runoff.

One of Lewis' pet issues, he says, will be making the school more 
environmentally friendly with more renewable energy sources and 
efforts to bring more campus buildings up to national environmental standards.

Other senators focused on reviving old senate issues that have yet to 
be resolved.

Johnson said he hoped to examine the university's policy on 
plus-minus grading - which the senate has yet to settle after passing 
it last year, only to have the provost ask them to re-examine the issue.

The debate on the university's policy toward transgender students and 
staff could also be revived, said senior economics and finance major 
Roberto Munster, who was elected yesterday from the Robert H. Smith 
School of Business.

Each student senator at the university represents around 1,000 
undergraduate students, so senators' ability to advocate on students' 
behalf depends on their ability to work with one another and to 
convince faculty members - 95 in total - to support their resolutions.

Lewis wants new and current student senators to work together to 
hammer out an organized plan to get a high number of student issues addressed.

"We need to work as a group," said Lewis. "And that's how we're going 
to gain power."

Lewis said he also wants to resume the fight to increase the number 
of student seats on the senate - which was bumped up last year.

"It's a fight that deserves to be reiterated every year," he said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman