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Students take on booze plan
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by Carl Jaeger
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A group of students met Monday evening to plan how to challenge the University of Wisconsin administration over a proposed policy limiting alcohol consumption at university events.
To start, the students plan to hold a press conference at 6 p.m. today at Memorial Union.
The proposed policy, currently in its seventh draft, consists of 15 points calling for "clear and concise alcohol standards" and "measures of accountability."
Student leaders intend to address the "misguided and ill-founded" nature of the policy, its language and its effects on a larger scale, according to Wisconsin Union Directorate member Mitra Jalali.
The planning meeting included students from many university organizations, including the Wisconsin Union Directorate, Hoofers and the Iron Cross Society.
Many students, all of legal drinking age, consumed beer at the meeting, demonstrating their disapproval of the proposed policy.
A major critique of the policy involved the administration's failure to include student input in creating it, said Union President Shayna Hetzel.
"They haven't given us an opportunity to weigh in on this [and] have been very secretive," Hetzel said. "If they were trying to reach out to student organizations and get their feedback, they, more than anyone, have the resources to reach every student group on this campus."
However, Associate Dean of Students Elton Crim said in a previous phone interview that the administration had made presentations to several student organizations regarding the proposed policy.
According to Hetzel, the policy will not only punish violators with academic consequences including probation, suspension or expulsion, but the individual's organization will also be punished.
Madison City Council President Austin King, who attended the meeting, said UW administration has a history of including student input but failed to do so for this policy.
"The university has a proud history in engaging students proactively in a process like this," King said. "And that history is clearly ignored in this case."
King also disagreed with aspects of the policy and believed it could result in long-term unintended consequences.
"There were other things that would just strangle student organizations' ability to have social events," King said. "That could be the death knell of some of the things that we really cherish about student life … on campus."
According to UW senior Alex Grace, the proposed policy is meant to act as an insurance policy for the university, similar to policies in fraternities and sororities, but doing so is unnecessary campuswide.
"A lot of where this came from was from insurance policies from fraternities," Grace said. "It's insane to enable this throughout campus."
Amid the controversy, the proposed policy is not without support.
Aaron Brower, principal investigator for Policy Alternatives Community Education — a UW organization working to reduce high-risk drinking — said that in the drafts current form, its "intent is right" and "keeps organization in line with the rest of organizations that serve alcohol."
"This policy doesn't seem that radical in any way," Brower said.
However, Hetzel said the issue goes beyond alcohol consumption.
"This isn't about alcohol — it's about student rights," Hetzel said. "[It's the] administration thinking through policies, and students saying we are demanding you pay attention to us."
— Nick Penzenstadler contributed to this report.
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 7:15am):
Hey clod, take your hat off when you're inside! We must assume you're embarrassed about going bald.
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 8:19am):
what a bunch of uninformed bull. they brought the draft to ASM student council to get input. SLP gave input. It's a DRAFT. And they're getting student input...what more do you want from them, you whiney WUD'ers?
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 8:24am):
I didn't mean secretive, as if we didn't know what was going on. But what made them go 6 months in and 7 drafts in, to even take time to make a presentation to ASM and to Hoofers? 6 months and 7 drafts is a significant amount of time to wait to get student buy in. Now they have to sit back and listen to our concerns. If they would have approached us in the first place, then maybe this would even be a non issue because then maybe...some of the ridiculous things in this policy would have been omitted. Then again, in the preliminary drafts the policy started off with "cannot have salty foods" at events or meetings. That sounds reasonable. Not.
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 9:05am):
Just say no...
...to stupid policies!
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 12:42pm):
There was a presentation made to ASM a few weeks ago
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 4:16pm):
Here's my policy:
If you're not legally old enough, don't drink.
If you can't drink responsibly, go somewhere else with lower standards. Like Ohio State.
If you don't like it, you can help keep my taxes low with all the fines you're going to pay when the cops ticket you.
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 6:42pm):
I would like to know why WUD is waiting until now to make a fuss about an issue that really shouldn't affect them if they are following the law. Can't they just be happy with the millions of dollars of seg fees they just got?
- Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 7:23pm):
the university of wisconsin is so great because it upholds its great history and traditions. the rathskeller and all union rooms are dedicated in honor of wisconsin culture. beer and alcohol and food have much to do with this. also, the univeristy system prides itself in allowing students to grow and learn on their own. students have no one holding their hand and must learn responsibility. as president of an organization, i know that alcohol is not paid for with organizational funding. also, those who act innapropriately are kicked out. usually clubs have more non-alcoholic functions. i think student organizations do a very good job of controlling themselves.
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 11:47pm):
Germain E. Stemme
Eat $h!t. There are over 200 students who oppose this policy. Including members of WASB, ASM, SLP, wisPIRG, Hoofers, WUD, Iron Cross, Fraternities, Law School Student Association, TAA, LaFollette School Student Association, and others.
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