The Oswego Blasters have been unable to host their foam flinging games on campus due to concerns about weapons and gun violence.
The club hosts Nerf wars for SUNY Oswego students, and has been trying to come to an agreement with SUNY Oswego that would allow them to host their games on campus.
When the Oswego Blasters became an official club in the spring 2022 semester, there was much excitement amongst members. The club, which had up until then been an unofficial band of Nerf enthusiasts, would now have the opportunity to have a budget and have an easier time getting a space to shoot their foam. The Director of Student Conduct, Brandon Bennett raised concerns about gun violence. This is due to how Nerf blasters fire a projectile out of a mechanism that imitates a gun, with the goal of hitting another person. The concerns were immediately countered with comparisons to the school’s baseball team, pointing out that balls are thrown at speeds much higher than that of a Nerf blaster. However, the concerns are not with the projectile, but what the projectile represents. “It’s like water pong, you’re not actually drinking but you’re promoting the idea of it,” said Jefferson Puma, the treasurer of the Oswego Blasters.
While the club has remained civil it has been a frustrating experience. Johnathen Rockwell, president of the Oswego Blasters said that he believes that SUNY Oswego should be able to have a Nerf centric club on campus, like how many other schools do. The club has been forced to host its games in Breitbeck Park, a seven minute drive from campus. “There are people who don’t want to travel,” Rockwell said, “It’s putting up more barriers to entry.” This has been a weight on the fledgling club, which received a large amount of attention at the involvement fair, but has been made a lot more difficult to access for potential new members.
The Blasters have been working with SUNY Oswego to be able to host their games on campus again, and making steady progress. Most recently the club submitted a safety waiver which would waive the school’s liability in case of injury in a game hosted by the club.
“We’re working to get back to the core of what we do,” Rockwell said.
Until a compromise can be worked out with the school, the club will continue to hold its traditional blaster centric games at Breitbeck Park on Saturdays. In addition they will also be hosting on campus games which will consist only of melee weapons and thrown projectiles, in hopes of letting new players easily see what the club is about.
Photo via Laker Life
