TX university's solution to their undergrad drunk driver problems

[rainbow4321]

an on-campus bar and more Friday morning classes to deter Thursday night drinking. Gotta keep the $MU student$ and their parent$$$$$$$$ happy..wouldn't want to piss off the elite with real efforts to cut down student drinking or anything.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/020208dnmetSMU.7c4597dc.html


The task force's work – culminating in a lengthy report with 30 recommendations – was spurred by the drug and alcohol-related deaths of three SMU undergraduates last school year. The ideas, submitted to President Gerald Turner this week, go beyond alcohol and drug policies and touch on all facets of campus life – academic, social and medical.


On the academic side, ideas include holding more Friday morning classes, to cut down on Thursday night partying. One study found that undergraduates drink more alcohol on Thursdays when they have no early Friday classes.

Another proposal is opening a pub on campus that would serve beer to legal drinkers and food. Several campuses, including Rice University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, do so.

Fraternities, sororities and other student groups would also be able to serve beer on campus to students of legal drinking age. Parties could only happen Friday and Saturday nights, and student groups would have to hire bartenders and security. The thinking is that otherwise, a total ban on alcohol chases students off campus.

[knitter4democracy]

1. Is that why there aren't classes on Fridays?

I started taking some grad level classes for fun at Western Michigan Univ., and I couldn't find any that were on Fridays. I thought that was the strangest thing. None before 10am, either. Then again, I went to an evangelical Christian college where alcohol was banned, so what do I know about a real college, but I still find it odd.

[seriousstan]

2. Thursday is the new Friday on campuses. It happen about 5-8 years ago.

[knitter4democracy]

3. Ahh. That explains it. I graduated in '97.

Still, it's very odd.

[MiniMe]

13. Thursdays were the party night in the '80s

That is because some people who lived locally went home over the weekend, so the big party was Thursday. Getting an early start on the weekend.

[AgadorSparticus]

4. I graduated in '93 and don't remember this being an issue. There were always Fri classes...

It was either M/W/F or TU/TH classes. I guess things have changed a bit.

[htuttle]

5. At UW Madison, it's not just the Rathskeller in the Union that keeps students from driving drunk

There's a basically free bus from the University up and down State Street. That puts you within reach of about 30-40 bars. Driving isn't an issue.

But binge drinking is...

:beer: :beer: :beer:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. Rice University has two bars on campus.

Willy's Pub in the student center, which is for undergrads.

Valhalla, the grad student pub, which is under the stairs to the main lecture hall in the chemistry building -- truly a hole in the wall. Famous for cheap beer. There's a red light hanging outside.

[taterguy]

7. I drank like a fish in college and never once drove drunk

It's not that difficult to find places to drink that are within staggering distance of a place to sleep.

Maybe there would be less drunk driving if there was a concerted effort to discourage driving.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. I was a bartender at our campus Rathskeller

Nobody had to drive anywhere to get drunk. We even sold kegs and beer balls to students for dorm parties.

The fact is, making alcohol unavailable on campus won't cut down on drinking. Students are gonna party one way or another.

[MilesColtrane]

9. The problem is that SMU is in Highland Park, the home of the rich, white, god-fearing...

...conservative. (Cheney used to live there.)

So there are very few drinking establishments there.
The college friendly places are across the freeway, and are not within walking distance.

My solution would be to turn the future Bush Library into an entertainment complex for students, like a giant mall food court area, several clubs in one big structure.

This booze court could boast such clubs as: Junior's AWOL Sports Bar, The Youthful Indiscretion, The Hard Work Cafe, Club Lack, and Neocon Dance Revolution.

[donsu]

10. don't grades suffer from all that drinking?

and all that drinking isn't healthy for young bodies. treat your body badly and for sure it will pay you back in the future.

[pstokely]

11. depends on the major and class load

and attendance policies, it's impossible to take attendance in the large intro courses

[RB TexLa]

12. I thought it was due to the alcohol related deaths, I don't think any of them had to do with driving

At least that was what it said in my copy of the paper