At forum, students discuss alcohol ban

Approximately 20 students attended an open forum yesterday organized by members of the provost-appointed alcohol task force to discuss the administration's temporary ban on alcohol at all undergraduate registered events. Although the attendance was lower than the task force members had hoped for -- considering that between 800 and 1,000 students attended a rally on College Green last week to protest the new alcohol policy -- the two-hour discussion resulted in a list of 14 possible ideas that could curb alcohol abuse on campus without banning alcohol at specific events. Students discussed both short-term goals -- such as lifting the alcohol ban before Spring Fling -- and long-term goals, which include developing solutions to combat the alcohol abuse problems at Penn. The task force members plan to review the 14 suggestions and present the best of them to the rest of the task force at the committee's meeting today, according to Undergraduate Assembly Vice Chairperson Michael Bassik, a College sophomore. The student suggestions included a mandatory alcohol education class for freshmen, increased non-alcoholic programming and the use of emergency medical technicians at fraternity parties to examine students. Another proposal the students suggested was to organize a town meeting where University President Judith Rodin could explain to students her goals for the development of alcohol policy. College senior Andrew Ross, who does not sit on the committee, said he would "like to have her stand [up] and tell us why she's doing what she's doing." Several students pointed to a lack of fun non-alcoholic activities at Penn. College senior Michael Kraver, a member of the task force, said many students think that if they can't drink, there is no reason for them to go out. He said that Penn needs to "change the culture" of alcohol use. Some suggestions for non alcoholic options included jazz shows, group events and video stores that would stay open past midnight. Task force members also explained to students at the forum that the current alcohol ban is a temporary measure and that the administration is willing to work with the student body to find a better solution to the alcohol abuse problems on campus. "The dry policy is really temporary," Bassik said. "It's not a solution and they want to get rid of it as much as we do." A final point that students stressed was the need to notify the campus about the progress of the task force by e-mail or through a proposed World Wide Web site that would post alcohol policy ideas and invite student responses. Task force committee member and Wharton senior Jeff Snyder, formerly the InterFraternity Council's vice president of rush, said the small meeting proved to be productive. Snyder cited the last-minute scheduling of the meeting as well as lowered student awareness of the event due to the recent holiday as possible reasons for the meager turn-out.

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