|
|
New alcohol policy bans drinking games |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 18 September 2007 |
 Senior Kari D. Threadgill plays a game of “cornhole” while tailgating before Saturday’s football game. Tailgaters are no longer allowed to play “drinking games.” Holt Menzies
|
JILLIAN SWORDS
News Reporter
Beer pong, flip cup, circle of death, hot seat and the like are all now prohibited activities at Appalachian State University.
The campus’s new alcohol policy, taking affect this semester, put a blanket ban on all drinking games in an effort to promote safe drinking behavior, especially at tailgating events.
Director
of Judicial Affairs Judy M. Haas said the Alcohol Policy Review Board,
composed of various campus representatives, re-wrote the campus policy
during the spring 2007 semester.
Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development
Susie L. Greene said other aspects of the campus-wide policy were
rewritten also, but largely for simplification reasons.
“We clarified the definitions to make sure the document was more user-friendly,” Greene said.
Student attitudes towards the policy range from indifferent to hostile.
“I know I sound like an old fogy, [but] people have died because they
don’t regulate their [alcoholic] intake level,” senior hospitality and
tourism major Jessica B. Smith said. “A lot of students, especially
freshmen, don’t know how to handle themselves with alcohol.”
However, some students are skeptical about how effective the new policy will be.
“All this rule will do is make students want to do it more,” junior
economics major Kelton P. Graham said. “If someone is 21, they should
be allowed to drink [how they want].”
In the case of Appalachian State student alcohol misuse, the Office of
Student Conduct may give the student probation, a fine, or require them
to attend an alcohol abuse class.
How do you feel about the new alcohol policy prohibiting drinking games during tailgating?
| “It’s silly. If you are able to drink, why prohibit the games?”
-Sarah B. Herndon, senior, anthropology
| “It doesn’t affect me because I don’t really drink.”
-Kenneth M. Love, junior, computer science
|
“The alcohol policy for the campus is for faculty, staff, guests, and
all our constituents,” Haas said. “The Office of Student Conduct deals
with students only.”
However, Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) officers, University Police,
Town of Boone Police and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department will
also be enforcing the new policy.
Haas said many students are unaware that getting documented for
breaking the university’s alcohol policy can extend into their
permanent record.
When a University Police officer writes up a student, a campus citation is always filed.
However, at the officer’s discretion, a state citation may also be issued.
“More often than not these days, they are issuing the state citation as well,” Haas said.
Haas said at the home football games this year, there is a concerted
campus effort to keep the atmosphere relaxed and not go overboard with
severe rules.
University Police Chief Gunther E. Doerr said during tailgating for the
Lenoir-Rhyne football game, campus police approached people playing
beer bong, informed them of the new policy, and came back several
minutes later to make sure the tailgaters had put the tables away.
“Some people were upset and didn’t know about the policy,” Doerr said.
“For the most part people understood and everyone complied, so no one
got cited.”
“The focus here is really safety,” Haas said. “Our goal is for people to be smart and make good decisions.”
Trackback(0)
 |
|
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments
