At a time that should be for celebration as we send new graduates out into

the world to productive lives and careers, it is unfortunate that recent events
have brought us such grief.

Speaking for the college and our students, I wish to express our deep
appreciation to the city police and fire departments for their professionalism
and dedication and the important life-saving and peace-keeping services they
have supplied in pursuit of their duties, qualities that were unequivocally
demonstrated this past weekend. Heroin use is a growing problem nationally
and has recently intruded into our community with tragic results. SUNY
Oswego has lost lives to this scourge, a terrible bill to pay.

Moving forward, we will search for ways that we can better identify and
reach out to members of our college community who are dealing with drug
addiction and better coordinate with other agencies locally and statewide to
make drugs less available. The arrests and recovery of quantities of heroin
that police announced Tuesday are a positive step in this direction. We will
certainly be working with the city and community in these efforts.

On another matter, we wholeheartedly agree that it is time for a new
approach to the Bridge Street Run. The facts clearly show that SUNY
Oswego does not host, sponsor, promote or benefit from the Bridge Street
Run. We do not provide the T shirts, transportation or any other
commodities associated with this event. This is a community event that
attracts many, but far from all, SUNY Oswego students and brings in
participants from as far away as Long Island and beyond who have no
association with our college.

Nevertheless, recognizing the risks associated with the Bridge Street Run
and upon request of Oswego City Police, we do put our college public safety
resources at the service of the Oswego City Police. Our University Police
officers, paid overtime by the college, were operating under the direction
and control of the Oswego City Police from 3 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday
to assist at no charge to the city.

At all times, SUNY Oswego promotes health and safety and denounces
abuse of alcohol and other drugs. We have sanctions in place to punish and
deter individuals who abuse alcohol and other drugs. We offer and in some
cases require individuals to attend training to help deal with addictions and
abuse of alcohol and other substances. In fact, disciplinary action may be
brought against violators of our conduct code in relation to Friday's event.

With the support of the downtown community, we can find a new approach
to end of semester celebrations. I call upon Bridge Street merchants to
address future instances of the Bridge Street Run and similar activities by
banning disruptive individuals from their premises and refusing to serve
them. We know that individual bar owners have taken this approach in the
past and we applaud them. At SUNY Oswego we will redouble our efforts to
discourage intoxication and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. I hope we can
work together with common purpose on this matter.


Deborah F. Stanley
President
SUNY Oswego