The New Boulevard: Detailed Clarification.
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:51 amI've seen a few posts on the Boycott and new rules. Here is the official word.
New rules passed out at the latest IFC and Panhellenic Exec. Meetings:
1. One beverage per visit to a bartender- individuals who repeatedly request beverages in quick succession may be identified to law enforcement personnel.
Problem: At a bar, customers can pick up drinks for other people. As long as it's 1 or 2 drinks. Many parents and alums come to the tents and students give them beer. Now these people will have to fight the crowd to get their drink. Guys cannot be gentleman and get the drink for the ladies- whether she is legal or not. That's only a minor setback to this rule. The main problem? This prevents the BYOB-Cooler. Now all beer that is brought must be handed over to a bartender before it's re-distributed back to the student.
2. Students 21 years or older must get their SMU ID checked at the flagpole prior to drinking- a verfication stamp will be provided. SMU will have a list of all SMU students of age.
Problem: So, I invite a friend from out-of-town, he goes to UT. That friend is under-age and has a fake ID that works. He can use his ID and get drinks from The Boulevard with no problem b/c he only faces the bartenders. Underage SMU students are now forced to go off-campus or elsewhere and then come back to The Boulevard. Of age students have to go check-in to make sure their newfound "SMU parents" think its okay for them to go drink. Moreover, SMU Student Life Staff only report that 20 people will check for IDs on game day. While student attendance at games suffers immensely, on the Boulevard that's not the case. Lines will be ridiculous- people will not check in and people will be getting in trouble ... for what? Not checking in with the new "security" before drinking legally. Also, in TX it is LEGAL to drink underage if your parents are within the direct vicinity of you. These new rules completely factor out this legal action. When questioned, the answer was simply "Those factors were taken into consideration, but these are the new rules."
3. Students must bring Driver's License AND SMU ID to the Boulevard- ONLY ONE IS NOT ENOUGH.
Problem: So, SMU has printed off a list with everyone that is 21 or over. Yet, they can't tell from matching up the picture on our student ID (that also has our student ID #) with the student ID # on their list? They need to double-check our Driver's License, too? Are their lists wrong? Oh great, this only creates more times in the line.
4. Bartenders will ask for Driver's License at any time to verify age in addition to university verficiation.
Problem: Bartenders are the single biggest problem. Not that the bartenders are now at the tailgates, that is smart. It's taken the liability off the fraternities and the school. So why this new overreaction?? SMU REQUIRED all Greek tents to hire 2 bartenders for each tailgate, they also mandated these bartenders come through one specific company. When they arrived to our tents, none of them spoke English. Yet, we (along with Student Affairs Staff who now have to act as a branch of SMU PD) are the ones being punished. We passed out wrist-bands the first tailgate, said only people with the bands could have drinks from our tent -- and we got blank stares and empty coolers within minutes. If the school would address the bartending situation and get better workers for its company, we WOULDN'T have this problem. If you get better bartenders, the kids with the fake IDs get the MIPs from TABC. Case Closed.
5. Non-affiliated visitors caught violating the state laws and/or university policy will be issued a criminal tresspass warning and denied permission to return to SMU indefinitely.
Problem: Just the SMU office trying puff its chest a little more ... don't really have a problem with this rule- it's just laughable at how it's written.
** Now, many fraternities have started calling for a Boycott of the Nevada vs. SMU Tailgate. They supposedly look to find venues near campus where they can take their tailgates. However, I have heard they will try to raise $ to donate back to Mustang Athletics and plan to make shirts (both political and school spirited) and show up in droves to the game to make their statement. This could benefit the football team, as well as show the power that IFC and Panhellenic hold together within the undergraduate SMU community.
BUT- I have also heard, that due to the fury of SMU Student Life Staff having to now police students they once got along with, that an emergency meeting has been called and that SMU Administration is looking to change these overreactive rules. Students should know by the end of this week.
Sorry this is entirely too long. But that's the official word, with a brief statement of the why the students oppose each new rule or are paying no attention to a certain one.
New rules passed out at the latest IFC and Panhellenic Exec. Meetings:
1. One beverage per visit to a bartender- individuals who repeatedly request beverages in quick succession may be identified to law enforcement personnel.
Problem: At a bar, customers can pick up drinks for other people. As long as it's 1 or 2 drinks. Many parents and alums come to the tents and students give them beer. Now these people will have to fight the crowd to get their drink. Guys cannot be gentleman and get the drink for the ladies- whether she is legal or not. That's only a minor setback to this rule. The main problem? This prevents the BYOB-Cooler. Now all beer that is brought must be handed over to a bartender before it's re-distributed back to the student.
2. Students 21 years or older must get their SMU ID checked at the flagpole prior to drinking- a verfication stamp will be provided. SMU will have a list of all SMU students of age.
Problem: So, I invite a friend from out-of-town, he goes to UT. That friend is under-age and has a fake ID that works. He can use his ID and get drinks from The Boulevard with no problem b/c he only faces the bartenders. Underage SMU students are now forced to go off-campus or elsewhere and then come back to The Boulevard. Of age students have to go check-in to make sure their newfound "SMU parents" think its okay for them to go drink. Moreover, SMU Student Life Staff only report that 20 people will check for IDs on game day. While student attendance at games suffers immensely, on the Boulevard that's not the case. Lines will be ridiculous- people will not check in and people will be getting in trouble ... for what? Not checking in with the new "security" before drinking legally. Also, in TX it is LEGAL to drink underage if your parents are within the direct vicinity of you. These new rules completely factor out this legal action. When questioned, the answer was simply "Those factors were taken into consideration, but these are the new rules."
3. Students must bring Driver's License AND SMU ID to the Boulevard- ONLY ONE IS NOT ENOUGH.
Problem: So, SMU has printed off a list with everyone that is 21 or over. Yet, they can't tell from matching up the picture on our student ID (that also has our student ID #) with the student ID # on their list? They need to double-check our Driver's License, too? Are their lists wrong? Oh great, this only creates more times in the line.
4. Bartenders will ask for Driver's License at any time to verify age in addition to university verficiation.
Problem: Bartenders are the single biggest problem. Not that the bartenders are now at the tailgates, that is smart. It's taken the liability off the fraternities and the school. So why this new overreaction?? SMU REQUIRED all Greek tents to hire 2 bartenders for each tailgate, they also mandated these bartenders come through one specific company. When they arrived to our tents, none of them spoke English. Yet, we (along with Student Affairs Staff who now have to act as a branch of SMU PD) are the ones being punished. We passed out wrist-bands the first tailgate, said only people with the bands could have drinks from our tent -- and we got blank stares and empty coolers within minutes. If the school would address the bartending situation and get better workers for its company, we WOULDN'T have this problem. If you get better bartenders, the kids with the fake IDs get the MIPs from TABC. Case Closed.
5. Non-affiliated visitors caught violating the state laws and/or university policy will be issued a criminal tresspass warning and denied permission to return to SMU indefinitely.
Problem: Just the SMU office trying puff its chest a little more ... don't really have a problem with this rule- it's just laughable at how it's written.
** Now, many fraternities have started calling for a Boycott of the Nevada vs. SMU Tailgate. They supposedly look to find venues near campus where they can take their tailgates. However, I have heard they will try to raise $ to donate back to Mustang Athletics and plan to make shirts (both political and school spirited) and show up in droves to the game to make their statement. This could benefit the football team, as well as show the power that IFC and Panhellenic hold together within the undergraduate SMU community.
BUT- I have also heard, that due to the fury of SMU Student Life Staff having to now police students they once got along with, that an emergency meeting has been called and that SMU Administration is looking to change these overreactive rules. Students should know by the end of this week.
Sorry this is entirely too long. But that's the official word, with a brief statement of the why the students oppose each new rule or are paying no attention to a certain one.