Feb. 17, 2006

“Guilty until proven innocent”

By LOREN GENSON
gensonl@marietta.edu

If you’re 21 and in possession of a 12 pack of beer, how does 15 hours of community service on a Saturday sound to you? What about paying $100 in fines? Under the new alcohol policy now on the table at Student Senate, those would be the penalties for a student of legal age possessing more than a six pack of beer or a 750ml bottle of wine.

It seems that most students are aware an alcohol policy on campus exists. Most freshmen are familiar with the policy, but it’s the upperclassmen that seem to forget.

“Most freshmen are aware of the policy because they were required to sign a form saying they understand the policies and penalties at the beginning of the year,” said Valerie Tharp, Resident Director of Russell Hall.

Most upper classmen are not aware of the current alcohol policy. For example, most people are aware that it is a violation of policy to supply alcohol to minors or consume alcohol underage. But upperclassmen mey be startled to learn that they aren’t allowed to play drinking games.

“They are surprised to learn that even though they are not consuming alcohol they can still get into trouble,” said R.D. Crystal Hunter. “If they are underage, it is against the policy to be in the presence of alcohol.”
Student Senator Lauren Thompson said one way to inform the student body would be to host an educational meeting to better inform students of their commitment to the policy. Although Thompson has some issues with the current policy, she believes that the new policy will even further disservice the student body and place students in harms way.

The newest alcohol policy would place stronger restrictions on all students, and increase penalties of alcohol violations on each subsequent violation. Thompson said the new policy would make students “guilty until proven innocent.”

Under the new policy, each student of legal drinking age would be allowed to have in their possession only six 12 oz. bottles of beer or 750ml of wine.
“What about liquor?” you ask. Well it may come as a surprise to some, but liquor is not allowed on campus at Marietta College.

Student Senator Brian Ashton feels that the six pack limit may encourage students to travel to the store themselves for another six pack of beer after the first has been consumed.

“Say a student drives to the store for more beer and hits somebody, the school could be liable under the new policy,” Ashton said. “When the trustees looked at the policy they were concerned with that part and wanted the school to seek legal counsel before passing that part.”

What worries Thompson and Ashton most about the new policy is the potential for students to find themselves in trouble when they take their parties off campus due to the new rules.

The senators fear students will engage in closet drinking behaviors such as taking enough shots to get drunk before heading out so they won’t have to worry about the alcohol policy or getting caught.

“People will drink,” Thompson said, “We’re afraid this will promote the wrong drinking habits. People will drink liquor in secret and quickly rather than social drinking with beer”.

Ashton also worries of the impact the policy will have on drinking and driving.

“If people can’t drink on campus,” Ashton said, “what will happen when they go to the bars or drive off-campus to other parties? Next year there will be a lot of students living off campus due to the lack of on-campus housing, what will happen when students are driving their cars of campus?”

The Senators are going to have focus group meetings with groups on campus as well as the different classes on campus to talk to students about the new policy. But Ashton and Thompson feel their protests may fall on deaf ears.

“The last time they revised the policy,” Ashton said, “The faculty voted it down as did the students, but the President voted for it and it went into action. Our votes and are opinions are merely suggestions, we don’t get the final say.”