New Policies for 2005 Boulevard

[Cheesesteak]

New policies for 2005 Boulevard

By Nate Regan
Sports editor
April 19, 2005
SMU Daily Campus

When the SMU football team kicks off the 2005 season against Baylor on Sept. 3, pre-game fun and festivities are sure to develop long before players take the field at Ford Stadium.

And while students drinking on Bishop Boulevard will certainly not be a new sight, many improvements to the pre-game activities will be noticeable come this fall.

“Our hope is to create a campus-wide atmosphere of spirit and community on game day,” Associate Athletic Director Shawn Heilbron said.

“The most significant improvements are going to be the configuration of tents,” he continued, “while expediting the clean-up process.”

Before his self-appointed “Boulevard Committee,” Student Body President Chip Hiemenz joined Heilbron and Associate Marketing Director Cherri Shaw to announce the changes to take place during tailgating this season.

As explained in a handout at the meeting Monday afternoon, “students who wish to consume alcohol on the Boulevard will show their driver’s license to the attendant from Sodexho [the leading food and facilities management services company in North America] at the check-in table located on the north end of the student section.”

“Students 21 and over,” the handout continued, “will receive a wristband for the day’s activities.”

The SMU Police Department will have representatives conducting random ID checks in order to discourage underage drinking.

Also this fall, each student tent rental will include the cost of two bartenders for four hours apiece. Keeping in mind the fact that they will stay for half an hour after kickoff, the bartenders will begin service three and a half hours before game time.

The cost to reserve an umbrella-style tent will be $1250 for the season, while larger tents come with a season price tag of $1650 (plus the cost of the tent). Each season package includes the price of bartenders and two parking spots adjacent to the tent.

Another new feature will be the implementation of fencing behind each organization’s table, creating a triangular shape that should prevent underage students from taking beer from behind the tables.

The new table design, according to the handout, will “prevent unsightly large piles of beer cases.”

Bartenders will stop serving beer five minutes prior to kickoff, with a “last call” warning issued 10 minutes before that.

As Hiemenz explained, the improvements will preclude more incidents like that of Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004.

Before the game against Louisiana Tech, the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) issued 19 student alcohol citations before warning the University administration to create new policies to prevent underage drinking.

“We have an issue,” Hiemenz said, “and if we are not proactive in dealing with it, the TABC could come in and potentially shut the Boulevard down.”

He went on to state the two main goals of his Boulevard Committee.

“We want to create a great pre-game atmosphere and then get people from the Boulevard to the game.” Hiemenz listed the latter as one of the biggest obstacles he and his committee are facing.

“As a community, we’re great about the Boulevard, but the game is a bit of a challenge,” he said.

To help improve game attendance, Mustang Express shuttles will transport fans from the Boulevard to Ford Stadium. New “Stadium Shuttle” stops will be utilized to ensure a smooth operation.

The shuttles will run until 10 minutes after kickoff.

Hiemenz hopes the improvements will not only lead to a safer Boulevard experience, but also a higher turnout at Ford Stadium. He feels his Boulevard Committee has offered invaluable input when key choices were to be made.

“What’s unique about the committee is that student voices were heard,” he explained.

“What students said was taken to heart and implemented.”

[MrMustang1965]

These sound like good improvements to The Boulevard experience. I look forward to seeing them implemented and seeing more students at the games this Fall.

[BUS]

It was time to do something after the TABC came on campus and found a problem. Shawn and his staff worked closely with the students to come up with something reasonable and I think this will help.

Walking that line of responibility and student involvement can be tough.

I am glad the student helped come up with these new policies.

Now we just need to WIN.

[huntnfish]

the TABC has surely got better things to do with their time. I bet the big public schools in the Big 12 and SEC don't have to deal with this.

[Bergermeister]

The TABC could set a new relay record if they showed up at the "little" student drunkfest in the parking lot adjacent to Dutch Meyer and frog alley.

[couch 'em]

I know the school had to made a token change to look like they are trying to cut down on underage drinking, but this thus seems a little overboard. I mean, who really cares if someone is drinking underage unless they get out of hand. No other university seems to.

Anyone know the difference in cost between last year and this upcomming year?

[Terry Webster]

It is important that SMU address the drinking situation. Two Sundays ago, 3 students at Miami (OH) were killed in a fire because they had had so much to drink that they couldn't get out of the house. Two of the students didn't even wake up, they were so drunk. I am certain that these kids parents wish that the school had cared enough to do something about the drinking. It is way past time that colleges started addressing the issue. I think that what SMU has come up with is a great start. I would hate to have the same thing happen anywhere else.

[Dooby]

From what I hear, some sackless frat boys were serving HPISD kids, which can only be characterized as stupid. This policy better work out because the Boulevard was the best thing the University had going for it on gameday.

[Dutch]

"the best thing"? it is the only thing the university has going for it on game day.

That and the big peruna mascot that we borrow from the Dallas Mavericks in the fall. (kidding of course)

[MrMustang1965]

I mean, who really cares if someone is drinking underage unless they get out of hand.

That is the stupidest comment. YOU should care. First, because if some underage student seriously hurts himself/herself by being drunk on campus, then the school itself could be liable for whatever damage they cause to themself. I've seen drunks do just as much damage to themself in a 'calm state' as in an 'out of hand' state.

Second, by the above comment, are you saying you'd be willing to put a bottle of booze in the hands of an underage student during Boulevard festivities?

And third: you should care because IT'S THE LAW!

[huntnfish]

underage kids on college campuses drink, that is part of college- I just doubt LSU, Texas, OU, etc.. have to deal with this

[MrMustang1965]

underage kids on college campuses drink, that is part of college- I just doubt LSU, Texas, OU, etc.. have to deal with this

I am quite aware that underage kids on college campuses drink. However, I don't want what they do to ruin a good time for the rest of us, who abide by the law, in public. If they want to drink, then let 'em do it in their dorm rooms/fraternity houses/sorority houses, etc. BEFORE they come to The Boulevard. It's still a liability for the school, though. And God knows, the last thing SMU needs is more bad publicity because some underage kid drank himself/herself to death on The Boulevard before a game!

[couch 'em]

That is the stupidest comment. YOU should care. First, because if some underage student seriously hurts himself/herself by being drunk on campus, then the school itself could be liable for whatever damage they cause to themself. I've seen drunks do just as much damage to themself in a 'calm state' as in an 'out of hand' state.

Second, by the above comment, are you saying you'd be willing to put a bottle of booze in the hands of an underage student during Boulevard festivities?

And third: you should care because IT'S THE LAW!

Like I said, people shouldn't care until they do something stupid. If a student is so drunk that they could hurt themselves, it is one thing. If they are standing around having a beer, and then go to the game and are actually enthusiastic, it is a totally different thing. I'm not saying they should just ignore everything. When I was underage, I stood around and had a beer or two on the boulivard. Should I have been arrested? What about the people I got the beer from?

We shouldn't let a few people ruin things for everyone. I believe prohibition tried this, and failed. Current drug laws are trying this, and failing. I wonder if they are having discussions like this in Europe right now?

[jtstang]

I don't care what they do at the 'vard as long as they don't prohibit 40 year old alums from having a few cold ones and checking out hot chicks less than half their age (I don't care whether the chick is drinking or not, I'm checking her out).

[RedRiverPony]

Shuttles from the Boulevard to the stadium? Is that why attendance hasn't been what we wanted -- because the stadium is too far away? It's not like we're still playing in the Cotton Bowl.

I'm not sure what the answer is (except the obvious answer: winning), but I'm pretty sure shortening the distance from the Boulevard to the stadium ain't it. I hope there are more plans in place to get people, especially students, to go to the games. I drive down from OKC for every one, so I'm pretty sure there's no reason a student can't make it all the way from McElvaney Hall.