So I’m on the rodeo team and do a lot of work where i need a rather large knife. Well i forgot to take it out of my car and some one saw it on Tuesday and i am now suspended and am going to a board hearing tomorrow. Is this going to seriously affect my application process??
If at all possible, I would get a letter from the Rodeo Team Advisor explaining your need for the knife as part of the team. At the hearing, do not make excuses, but rather present any documentation you can get and explain that it was an oversight on your part to have the knife on campus. If The suspension does stay on your record, insist that any documentation from the Rodeo Team Advisor stay in your file so that you can use that to explain the suspension on your college apps. Also be sure to keep copies of any documentation.
If this did not go to the police, and will not be adjudicated in the courts, you are already way ahead of the game. The outcome of the board hearing will ultimately determine how the school views this. If you were on campus, the rules governing your use of the knife fall under education statutes, and that could mean it must go to the courts. College admissions is probably something to ask about after the board hearing.
Wish you well.
Maybe. Depending on the outcome of the hearing, you may be required to both disclose and explain the issue on your future applications.
Friend’s son had a similar problem - boy scout with a pen knife in his backpack post camping trip. He didn’t even realize it was there, but he was stopped for going off campus during lunch (apparently a rule violation at our suburban school - the supermarket is across the street and half the school is there at lunch in spite of the rules). He was searched when he came back on campus. They were probably looking for drugs. He was suspended for 3 days. This is a boy scout with a 4.0. Zero tolerance is the school district’s policy unfortunately.
In the long run, he was up front about it on his application and it doesn’t appear to have hurt him since he got admitted to his top choice school. His scoutmaster had also submitted an additional letter of rec about what a great guy he was, although I don’t know if the scoutmaster included any comment on the knife episode.
Good luck at your hearing. Get that letter from the Rodeo Team Advisor not just about needing the knife also about what a fine and upstanding citizen you are, a credit to the team, etc…
@takeitallin has an excellent suggestions. Sounds like an honest oversight.
–Definitely get a letter from the Rodeo Team Adviser explaining why you need the knife for the rodeo team.
–I’d also ask the adviser to attend the board hearing if possible to testify on your behalf.
–If you testify, keep it simple-- explain why you have the knife, admit your oversight in leaving it in the car, and apologize. You might also come up with a course of action to insure such an oversight won’t happen again and present that to the hearing board (ex. your parents agree to check that you bring the knife back into the house after rodeos, have the adviser for the rodeo team agree to collect the knives after each rodeo or something along those lines) – have that person write a letter or be available to testify that he or she will do that.
–If it goes on your record then also insist that the rodeo team adviser letter gets included and write a personal statement explaining the situation to be included as well.
–Depending on the outcome of the hearing, you may want to reach out to schools you have applied to and explain the situation. I think if you get out in front of it and tell the story as an oversight/error related to an activity you are involved in I don’t think that it won’t hurt your admission chances.
– If you have a good guidance counselor you can confer with him/her as well as to the best course of action.
–What you don’t want to happen is that schools see you got suspended for having a knife at school without explaining the situation in advance.