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Social life in the Big Eight played according to diffe
By Randy Essex
'ooks and booze.
Most Big Eight schools believe that both have a place
r on the college campus. The University of Nebraska is an
exception.
Of the Big Eight-Schools, only Nebraska, Oklahoma
State and Missouri prohibit possession of alcohol on
campus. The other five schools allow various kinds of in.
toxicating beverages under a wide range of restrictions.
Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Kansas State univer
sities allow 32 beer on campus in accord with their re.
spective state laws. Iowa State University allows all
alcohol, in accord with the Iowa legal drinking age of 19.
Nebraska is the only other state with a Big Eight
college campus and a legal drinking age of 19. The age in
Missouri is 21, and all of the other states allow 18-year-olds
to drink cereal malt beverages (3.2 beer), and 21
year olds to gain full drinking privileges.
Iowa State has the most liberal alcohol policy in the
conference, but several restrictions are enforced by the
university in an attempt to control behavior,
"WE TRY TO stay out of the parental mode," said
Jim Krafft, Iowa State's alcohol education programmer.
"Our overall idea is that most students are adults, and
we should treat them that way, letting them make their
own decisions," Krafft said.
Liquor is sold on -sale at a bar in the university's stu
dent union, and at a bar in the continuing education
center. He said the student union has a "mobile" liquor
license, allowing it to set up wine gardens before some
theatrical productions.
Most of the drinking on the Ames campus occurs in
residence halls, Krafft said, where "what students do in
their own rooms is their own business."
The university has established a detailed list of guide,
lines for parties to be held in residence halls, Krafft ex
plained. The people who are having the party must submit
a guest list, agree to be responsible for damages and take
responsibility for checking ages of those at the party.
KRAFFT SAID there have been "a couple" instances
where the rules were violated and probation was given as a
punishment.
In addition, he said, non-alcoholic beverages are en.
couraged by officials, so students who are not 19 will not
feel excluded. Krafft added that the university hopes
those who do no want to drink will not be excluded from
parties. -
Krafft said since his office has been established, he has
had several visitors asking for party ideas and activities not
dependent on alcohol.
Krafft admitted there is a good deal of alcohol abuse
on the campus but he does not believe more rules would
improve the situation,
Iowa changed its drinking age from 18 to 19 two years
ago, creating a class of minors on campus. But Krafft said
even with the age consideration, rules probably would not
change behavior.
"The best situation you can have is to establish a good,
continuing alcohol education program," he said.
At the University of Colorado, where 3.2 beer is sold
to 18-year-olds in the student union, and is allowed in
dorm rooms and at certain planned student functions,
BUI Olson echoed Krafft 's concern for education,
BILL SCHAFER, who works with CU's coordinator
for student conduct and policies, said the school believes
students should be expected to follow state laws, "but the
school shouldn't enforce past that point,"
Olson, a half-time employee of the university, said an
established education program allows problem drinkers to
become more aware they might need help, and help others
in their decisions involving when and how much to drink,
Olson said that through publicity in the campus news
paper and on campus television, people with questions
about and problems with alcohol are more likely to' seek
help.
Having help available on-campus encourages students
to refer their friends or themselves, Olson said. He said the
$7,500 spent each year on his salary and education
program 1s well worth the money."
"People want this. I have so many requests to give pro.
grams that I can't keep up," he said.
Olson said booze may soon be part of the academic life
since health education - drugs and alcohol - probably
will be part of a regular college program.
'THE YEARS of peak alcohol usage occur during
college age," Olson said. "Ninety percent of our college
student drink but only about two-thirds of them will
continue to drink after college."
The University of Kansas also allows 3.2 beer in resi
dence hall rooms and certain student functions. The
Kansas student union sells 3 2 beer on -sale ,
Alcohol education also is important at Kansas, accord
ing to Ann Eversole, the director of student organizations
and activities, A staff member is developing "a fairly com
prehensive" education program, she said, However, she
noted, no one office is in charge of alcohol education at
KU,
Eversole said she thinks KU's policy works, even
though there are occassional disruptions related to drink
ing, ,
"Since we have residence halls on campus, I don't
think allowing alcohol on campus is inconsistent with
academic objectives," Eversole said,
Kansas State University allows 32 beer in dormitories,
and recently gave approval for beer at some student funct
ions, Chet Peters, vice president for student affairs, said,
HOWEVER, KANSAS STATE officials have decided
that 3 .2 beer will not be sold in the student union, v
He said the university has a $30,000 annual grant for
alcohol education, The money is used for weekly adver
tisements in the campus newspaper, seminars, workshops
and literature,
The University of Oklahoma also allows 3.2 beer on
campus, and there is a license for 3.2 beer held by the stu-
Women
challenge macho drinking
status
By Betsie Ammons
'rinkine on college campuses convevs
a picture of a macho fraternity man. for a
man from a residence hall, cooperative, off.
campus, take your pick) dead drunk,
being led home by an understanding, long,
suffering date.
Not exactly, says Jane Baack, assistant
to the UNL dean of students, Baack con.
tends that nowadays the couple is more
likely to lead each other home in inebriat.
ed bliss,
In her position as counselor and univer
sity rule-enforcer, Baack said she has
noticed an increase in drinking by women
at UNL, But, she said , men still drink more
than women on this campus,
Reasons behind the apparent increase in
drinking by UNL women range from high
school habits to the all-important desire for
acceptance, -
Baack said she believes that freshmen
entering the university are more adept in
the social drinking than were their pre
decessors.
Along with that, she said it is more
acceptable for high school women to con.
sume alcohol with the crowd,
"IF YOU really care about that person,
talk to them
Baack said research shows that as more
women enter high level business positions,
a rise in heart disease, mental illness and
other stress-related difficulties follows, She
said it will be interesting to see if an in
crease in alcoholism goes along with this
trend,
A desire for acceptance by men in the
business world, or at college, may also ex.
plain why more are drinking, Baack said,
(Tien still have mixed feelings
, about their dates and booze.
"GALS AND GUYS are drinking to.
gether," Baack said, at the bars and at part
ies. She added that a negative stereotype
surrounding the kind of women who fre
quent bars is a thing of the past.
Also, she said, there has been a slight in
crease in the number of alcohol-related dis
ciplinary actions involving UNL women.
However, she said the women are not as
overt as their male counterparts,
"Women are not the ones at bonfires
throwing glass," she said,
Baack said a men's double standard
about women and alcohol, that it is okay
to drink but not get drunk, may be dis
appearing. But, she said, men still have
mixed feelings about their dates and booze.
"Some men have been telling me they
notice increased drinking by women at
bars," the said, adding that men may not
like to see women drink,
1 She said men do not know how to
handle this increase but that she counsels
persona who know someone they think is t
heavy drinker to talk it over.
and men have told her it appears that many
women just want to be one of the guys.
Baack said it is her opinion that drink,
ing is no more prevalent in sororities than
in residence halls and vice versa.
Also, in her opinion, alcohol should be
legalized on campus, if only for the oppor
tunities it would provide for alcohol edu
cation. She estimated that only 5 percent
to 10 percent of the students at UNL do
not drink.
Women face many of the same problems
as men if they are heavy drinkers, Baack
said.
They often ask was it worth it' after
getting inebriated, she said, and don't
understand why they did. Also, she said, it
is difficult for people when they feel they
are not in control of their actions,
This may be harder for women, she said,
because when a woman gets drunk she is
expected to be more in control than a
male, especially in sexual situations.
Women also face sanction! from their
friends after they get drunk, she said.
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