Laura Schachtner | News Co-Editor
Turning 21 and gaining the ability to buy alcohol is a significant rite of passage among college students. Turning this age at Buena Vista University (BVU) means that students also gain the privilege of hosting parties. Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Meg McKeon recently hosted an informational meeting in which she taught students who are of age how to host a party safely and responsibly.
“The new policy, which is online now, goes into a little bit more detail and specificity about what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable,” McKeon said. The “first two or three bullets are about the age. Intoxication is defined, and that is something that was not in the previous policy.”
The new alcohol policy defines intoxication as “behaviors which exhibit impairment due to consumption of alcohol or other drugs.” Individuals arriving to a party intoxicated cannot be allowed to enter.
“I think it’s going to be really hard to tell who’s really intoxicated and who is just being goofy, but I think it really helps us as RAs [Resident Advisors] to keep students safe,” senior Resident Advisor Allison Elliott said.
Another revision in the alcohol policy is the amount of alcohol a student may have in their possession. Although the alcohol policy has changed, McKeon made it clear that it is student behavior that counts.
“It is student behavior that’s going to get our attention. So if you are 21 and you’re in your room and you are quietly consuming alcohol, we’re not coming in and looking for anything,” McKeon said. “It’s really how people conduct themselves that’s going to bring attention.”
Recent changes in policy also specify guidelines for parties. According to the new policy, a party is defined as a “gathering in a room/suite in which the occupants present equal or exceed three times the number of residents of that room when alcohol is also present.” If a social gathering meets the criteria of a party as stated in the definition, then students will need to fill out a party registration form. Also, students will not be allowed to have parties Sunday through Thursday unless they receive special permission from the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students.
“I think that is better than it has been in the past because there have been many parties that were very extreme in their nature. Unregistered parties mean that someone could get hurt if no one was in charge. Having the party on record is helpful just in case something does happen,” junior Jeffrey Loving said.
McKeon informed students that if something occurs and there is a need to call campus security, their level of intoxication will not be held against them.
“Safety is most important,” McKeon emphasized.
Forms can be turned in from Tuesday at 1 p.m. to Friday at noon the week of the party’s respective weekend. The party will then be confirmed once the host of the party receives a confirmation e-mail from the Office of Residence Life.
Though some students may disagree with the policy changes, they understand the reasoning behind them.
“They have their hearts in the right place. They’re trying to make this a safe place for students. They are encouraging us to drink at a smart level,” senior Miguel Gomez said.
Photo by Makensie Brown
Graphic by Krystal Schulte
Video by Tyler Mcdanel
