The bars. The bars are something esoteric, something exclusive and something magical for a DePauw student under the age of 21. They seem to call to all the students of age for dollar drink night, and they leave houses barren when their momentum draws the masses in with their charm.
Greencastle bars have the power to bring classes together and make greek identity second to school spirit. So how would the campus look if bars were 18 and up, like they are in many states?
For one, it seems evident that the greek vs. non-greek divide would not be so clear. After all, when greek houses are the primary social setting on campus it is difficult for non-greek students to interact with their counterparts. It also seems reasonable to believe that greek divides might not be so pronounced from the start.
A neutral setting for students of all backgrounds would provide a safe place to celebrate DePauw rather than their more specific affiliations. The bars are appealing — the booze is assorted and delicious, the company is diverse and the environment is fun. If all students had the ability to go to bars — even if not to drink — there would be a much more exciting bar scene for the campus to surround.
If the university would like to see a decrease in alcohol consumption, we see no easier way than to open bars to 18-year-olds. Not only would the increased emphasis on a community setting with students present while not drinking deter binge drinking, but it also would economically check-back excessive alcohol consumption.
Rather than consume copious amounts of cheap alcohol, students at bars have a variety of drinks and the burden of a tab to deter excessive consumption of cheap liquor.
For students in fraternities that have lived with the consequences of irresponsible alcohol consumption on the part of certain individuals, an increase in emphasis on the bars would provide a much needed forum for individual accountability. If 18-year-olds were allowed at bars it seems reasonable to believe that the burden of hosting social events would shift significantly to the bars.
While "pre-gaming" still might occur at fraternities, the eventual move to a bar setting means that fewer strangers wander into fraternity parties to cause unneeded stress for the houses. This would be a welcome relief for the risk management structures of fraternity houses, which, no matter how comprehensive, have occasional slips through the cracks.
Although there are several advantages to opening bars to 18-year-olds, we understand the arguments from the other side — the bar scene also presents the challenge of underage consumption. While the argument makes sense, it does not hold water in practice. Underage consumption is going to be a problem regardless of what the rules are with respect to local bars. What the age change does provide is a controlled environment in which there is infinitely more supervision to ensure that sneaking drinks is at a minimum, and at the very least decreases the amount underage students could consume. Furthermore, these establishments would have a strong legal incentive to monitor the consumption behavior of their patrons.
18-and-up bars would be good for the DePauw community — with emphasis on community. While there is not much that can be done based on state law, it is a start for the campus to begin talking about what we would look like if there was a neutral social setting for all DePauw students.
— Kirkpatrick is a junior from Overland Park, Kan., majoring in political science. Burns is a junior from West Lafayette, Ind., majoring in political science. opinion@thedepauw.com