Jaclyn Figg
Staff Writer
Idaho State University is a dry campus: the possession or consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited on all property unless a permit is acquired which follows the Alcohol Possession Policy and is accepted by the President or his designee.
There are college football stadiums across the United States opting for a different direction; some believe the sale of alcohol in the stadiums can increase revenue.
Campus stadiums that serve alcohol include Troy University, Colorado State, Cincinnati, Houston, Minnesota, Nevada University and many more.
The number of universities allowing alcohol at the campus stadiums has been continuously rising over the years.
“I think at football games, since the community is there and it’s not just students, [alcohol] may be beneficial,” said Kevallyn Drake, a health education major and vice president for her sorority Alpha Xi Delta. “But I think keeping activities dry on campus, especially the ones that are related just for students is important.”
ISU encourages students to keep alcohol off campus to promote a healthy learning environment, focusing on education above all and optimizing student health.
“I think it’s good just because when you are at school you are there for your education. There are extracurricular activities on the outside but I think keeping our campus dry keeps [students] focused on what’s important and that’s going to school,” said Drake.
While ISU can’t do anything about off-campus drinking, it is unlawful for minors to drink as well as for students of age to provide alcohol for students less than 21 years of age.
University housing strictly prohibits alcohol, though this can be a hard thing to monitor. If students want to keep it hidden, they can.
There have been many posts on the new ISULIVE snapchat of students drinking in the dorms.
“I think in the dorms there were a couple incidents where people were caught drinking on campus but I only lived there the first year and so that was all I ever saw,” said Drake. “But other than that, now that I don’t live on campus I don’t see it as often. I think keeping the dorms dry is an OK thing because a lot of the students are freshman and you’re able to focus on school and it is one way to keep distractions out even though you know they are probably still going out and partying.”
There are times alcohol makes its way onto campus legally and this is through the Stephens Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
At the SPAC, events such as weddings, outdoor receptions, banquets or special dinners like the donor recognition dinner are able to serve alcohol as long as they receive a permit and abide by the university alcohol policy.
“Alcohol is for special events: Chartwells has the catering permit so everything is serviced through them at the performing arts center,” said George Casper, the SPAC director of events. “For example, if there is a function that has a dinner and they have alcohol, then Chartwells handles it because they have the permit on campus.”
To get a permit to serve alcohol on campus constituents must fill out an application from Chartwells, and then be approved through the President’s Office.
“Chartwells is our campus wide food service that provides all the catering,” Casper said. “They have a food contract for the university with a permit that allows them to sell beer and wine on campus, so everything goes through them.”
Just because it is possible to get a permit to serve alcohol on campus does not mean that it is an easy task. Casper said that he hasn’t seen any student functions with alcoholic beverages, and these permits are for more adult type functions.
