Before the official start of business, a representative from the Division of Student Affairs presented proposed changes to the Institute Student and Student Organization Alcohol Policy.
This policy applies specifically to students and student groups on Institute-owned property and would not apply to Greek organizations, whose houses either sit on private property or whose houses are themselves private residences.
The major proposed change to the policy was the elimination of the wristband system, in which organizations would serve alcohol on Institute property only to students who received wristbands indicating that they were 21 years or older. The administration felt that this method was, for the most part, ineffective in preventing underage drinking, as students would simply hand alcoholic beverages to their friends who were underage. This potentially opened the Institute to liability.
Instead, the proposed policy allows for so called “beer gardens,” or areas that allow only people of legal drinking age could enter to buy and consume alcohol. The purchase, sale and consumption of alcohol would only be allowed in these areas.