Spring Break
Old Springfest policy reinstated
by Jillian Wagner
News Editor
News | 4/1/08
Posted online at 2:08 AM EST on 4/1/08
/ Last updated at 6:16 PM EST on 4/1/08
The administration has insisted that a separate, fenced-in area must serve as a beer garden at next Sunday's Springfest, despite Student Union officials' attempts to alter both that aspect of Brandeis' alcohol policy and the overall drinking culture on campus.
The Union raised concerns last year about the inflexibility of the school's alcohol policy. It drafted a proposal that focused on the elimination of beer gardens, the addition of scanners to speed up the process of checking student IDs and adjusting the amount of security depending on the time and type of event.
Last year, Springfest served as a trial for exploring other options regarding alcohol at campus events. At the event, the entire Great Lawn was fenced in, which allowed students of legal age to consume alcohol within the venue and not just within the normally confined designated area.
This was intended to serve as a response to student complaints about the inability for students over 21 to comingle with students under 21, but many administrators were not convinced after the event.
"We discovered as an institution how much risk we were actually taking on by doing that; we had some underage consumption [at last year's Springfest], which was concerning to us as an institution," Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes said.
Grimes also addressed how many students felt that last year's Springfest was negatively affected by the change in policy.
"The atmosphere behind Springfest is really supposed to be fun and laid-back, where anyone can come and go," Grimes said. "But last year felt more structured because the Great Lawn was entirely fenced-in. So the beer garden just seems, programmatically, to allow students to have the alcohol and the atmosphere they want."
The Union has begun to redirect its approach to the alcohol situation by focusing on changing the drinking culture on campus. According to Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08, this would require three steps: "Step one is to take the venue space we already have and using it for campus events with beer gardens."
The Union raised concerns last year about the inflexibility of the school's alcohol policy. It drafted a proposal that focused on the elimination of beer gardens, the addition of scanners to speed up the process of checking student IDs and adjusting the amount of security depending on the time and type of event.
Last year, Springfest served as a trial for exploring other options regarding alcohol at campus events. At the event, the entire Great Lawn was fenced in, which allowed students of legal age to consume alcohol within the venue and not just within the normally confined designated area.
This was intended to serve as a response to student complaints about the inability for students over 21 to comingle with students under 21, but many administrators were not convinced after the event.
"We discovered as an institution how much risk we were actually taking on by doing that; we had some underage consumption [at last year's Springfest], which was concerning to us as an institution," Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes said.
Grimes also addressed how many students felt that last year's Springfest was negatively affected by the change in policy.
"The atmosphere behind Springfest is really supposed to be fun and laid-back, where anyone can come and go," Grimes said. "But last year felt more structured because the Great Lawn was entirely fenced-in. So the beer garden just seems, programmatically, to allow students to have the alcohol and the atmosphere they want."
The Union has begun to redirect its approach to the alcohol situation by focusing on changing the drinking culture on campus. According to Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08, this would require three steps: "Step one is to take the venue space we already have and using it for campus events with beer gardens."
Be the first to comment on this story