Say goodbye to beer and liquor bottle collections. A new policy is in place in the residence halls prohibiting empty alcohol containers from being used as decorations.
Steve Kremer, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said in the past students who displayed these empty alcohol containers would say a friend or sibling of drinking age had come to visit, leaving the containers behind.
“The new policy addresses a loophole in enforcement of alcohol laws and policies,” Kremer said.
Kremer said the new policy is focused on changing the drinking culture in the residence halls.
“We are working with the Student Wellness Center on social norms towards alcohol use,” said Jenny Klein, director of Residence Life. “The alcohol container decorations in the rooms made it appear that students were drinking more than they really were. Studies have shown that the student body doesn’t drink as much as people think they do.”
The decorations would be displayed for days or weeks. Seeing these decorations repeatedly over a period of time has a psychological effect on the student’s idea of the social norm for drinking. They begin to believe students drink larger quantities of alcohol than they really do, Kremer said.
“This policy helps alleviate peer pressure from other students,” Kremer said. “It also removes a health hazard created when trash is stored in the rooms.”
It avoids embarrassing situations for students who weren’t drinking in the residence halls but had roommates who were and had these decorations, Kremer said.
“Students caught violating the new policy are asked to remove the decorations,” he said.
Kremer emphasized education over penalties. The Office of Student Affairs wants to help students who seem to be having problems with alcohol use, Kremer said.
“Our focus is on counseling and educating the student body,” he said.
Although underage drinking is prohibited in the residence halls, students were allowed to decorate their rooms with empty alcohol containers.
Empty alcohol cans, bottles, cartons, kegs and bongs are prohibited under the new policy.
“Posters and signs are fine, even if they are pictures of alcoholic beverages,” Kremer said. “But such things as bottle caps from beer and liquor bottles are banned.”
Klein said other Big Ten universities have enacted similar policies.
Jimmy Kennedy, a resident adviser at Drackett Tower, said he agrees with the new policy.
“Before, they (students) were allowed to keep the evidence and display it as decorations,” Kennedy said. “It kind of mocked the job we were doing.”
Shenia Thomas, a senior resident adviser at Neilwood Gables, said the new policy will make the resident adviser’s job easier.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Thomas said. “It creates a better environment for everybody. We won’t have to deal with that gray area anymore.”
