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Test your alcohol knowledge

Alcohol and drinking are perpetual subjects of conversation on college campuses nationwide. Find out how much you know about alcohol’s effects by taking The Collegian Online’s quiz below. (Click to open quiz in a pop-up window.)

Welty denies Amethyst Initiative

A major issue in nationwide news has been the controversial movement that aims to decrease the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 by means of college endorsement.

Fresno State declined to participate and continues its goal of providing abuse education.

In an attempt to gain support, the Amethyst Initiative, which consists of numerous college presidents, has been asking for more support to add strength to its cause.

With the advice of the Alcohol Safety Council (ASC) — a council of faculty members, students, police officers and other parties that discuss matters of importance in relation to students and alcohol use — President Welty declined the invitation, said Paul Oliaro Ph.D., vice president of student affairs and chair of ASC.

“We felt there was no reason why he should join the other president,” Oliaro said.

“If a president is to sign something that will condone behavior, I respect the fact that he will consult an organization related to the matter first,” said Michael Caldwell, Ph.D., associate professor of music and chair of faculty subcommittee of ASC.

Oliaro pointed out the council’s three main reasons for opposing the initiative. First is the current drinking age, which he said already encourages underage drinking. Second, it would do nothing to encourage safety on campus. His third and most important reason why the council was so opposed to the initiative was that it will provide easier access to alcohol to high school students.

He stressed that this third and final reason was crucial to their stance because if an 18-year-old senior were to buy alcohol, they could share it with younger friends in lower grades, which would only make the change in law a horrible decision.

Student opinions on the matter, however, vary. Albert Leung, mechanical engineering major, is in favor of the Amethyst Initiative.

“If an 18 year old can join the army, why shouldn’t he be able to have a shot?” Leung said.

An alternate view on the matter was expressed by Mai Yang, creative writing major.

“A big risk of giving 18-year-olds the right to drink is that at their age, they may not be aware of all the dangers associated with drinking and may have misconceptions about how college is going to be ‘one giant party,’” Yang said.

Aside from its opposition to the initiative, the ASC’s faculty subcommittee has released an invitation to all faculty members to take part in the ASC Faculty Pledge Program, which was initiated by Caldwell. The program entitles all participating members to provide assistance to students who admit that they need help.

Caldwell said the ASC does not tell the faculty members involved what to say, but the program is geared for “people who want to present themselves as someone that wants to promote it.”

He made it clear that all members, whether faculty or not, are entitled to join the program, but those that do should be ready, if the time comes, to provide information or advice.

According to Caldwell, a common misconception about the ASC in general is that it aims to prevent the use of alcohol.

“If someone wanted to come to a meeting and see what the council does, it’s not about prohibition or abstinence,” Caldwell said. “It’s always about keeping it positive and helping students.”

Oliaro said that a strong point of the council and its pledge is that they both “keep issues in the forefront for the campus.”

He mentioned the posters around campus that deal with alcohol abuse and drinking too much at parties as prime examples of this.

According to Caldwell, that particular campaign, which was geared to pass on information and facts about uncontrolled drinking to students was, “almost entirely student ran.”

The posters were just one of the examples he mentioned as active ways to promote the council’s cause and dedication to helping students in need.

Caldwell said the council takes an active roll on campus by their participation in National Collegiate School Alcohol Awareness Week, as well as their continuing cooperation with local law enforcement.

For more information on upcoming events and news regarding the ASC, click here.

Letter to the Editor: Recent debate about drinking ages neglects industry’s responsibility

Personal responsibility is important. As a sociologist, I also acknowledge social forces influence our choices. Behavior is largely situational and occurs within contexts; thus, debates about lowering drinking ages miss a fundamental issue: youth exposure to alcohol advertising on television—which increased 38 percent from 2001-2007—correlates with more alcohol consumption, increasing deaths (5,000 people under 21 die annually from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking), decreased academic performance, and poor health.

According to Professor David Jernigan, alcohol companies spent $6.6 billion on over two million television advertisements from 2001-2007. Though the National Research Council, Institute of Medicine, and 20 state attorneys general recommend a proportional 15 percent maximum for youth audiences (ages 12-20) of alcohol advertising, the industry maintains a “self-regulatory” practice of attempting to not advertise on programs with audiences more than 30 percent underage.

Alcohol distributors have also released new products targeting young drinkers, including alcopops and alcoholic energy drinks, many of which have a higher alcohol content than beer.

The CSU directives followed the 2005 NCAA recommendation that college sports outlaw alcohol sales and limit alcohol advertising, acknowledging the influence of this exposure on youth consumption of alcohol.

While individuals are accountable for their choices, the alcohol industry also bears some responsibility and should comply—voluntarily or by regulation—with the 15 percent standard. In 2006, Congress passed legislation to monitor rates of youth exposure to alcohol advertising. Unfortunately, no funds have been appropriated and no reporting has yet occurred.

Matthew A. Jendian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Sociology

Editorial: Members of Amethyst Initiative show little initiative themselves

OUR OPINIONS

A RECENT ARTICLE BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS describes an effort by the Amethyst Initiative, a newly formed organization of university chancellors and presidents, to reignite the debate about the drinking age in America. While the organization does not explicitly advocate lowering the drinking age from 21 years old to 18, it does urge for “an informed and dispassionate debate” about the matter.

As might be expected, the movement has provoked some opposition, particularly from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. According to the article however, both sides still consider alcohol abuse among college students “a huge problem.”

We think it’s a huge problem as well. It does seem curious that the push for reconsideration should come from an organization comprised of college administrators.

We ask them: what is the difference, from the university’s perspective? Colleges need to be vigilant about monitoring alcohol consumption and try to curb its abuse, among both legal and illegal drinking populations.

The article also cites research indicating “more than 40 percent of college students [who] reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence,” with more than 500,000 college students from four-year universities suffering alcohol-related injuries annually.

These figures don’t delineate how many of the students are legal drinkers and how many are underage. They don’t really need to either—the indication is that alcohol is a major issue on university campuses.

The AP article quotes Moana Jagasia, a Duke sophomore from Singapore, where the drinking age is lower. Jagasia says “There isn’t that much difference in maturity between 21 and 18.” This effectively encapsulates the Amethyst Initiative’s argument as well — both center on the issue of maturity.

Maturity, however, is not quantifiable — it is subjective and it is abstract. Different communities define maturity in different ways, and even within those communities, the age of “maturity” varies from person to person. Universities are often comprised of students from diverse communities — from those from Singapore to those from Cedar Rapids, Iowa — and so are not in a particularly good position to make blanket statements about maturity.

Because here is what is concrete: the aforementioned research includes all of these students as well.

Maturity should be ancillary — the primary issue needs to be tackling the abuse itself.

Because here is what is quantifiable: 1,700 students of the aforementioned 500,000 die as a result of their alcohol-related injuries every year.

And these are our students, too.

So it is difficult for us to see this as anything more than an effort to skirt the primary issue. If more than 40 percent of our community suffers from symptoms of alcohol abuse, then the people at the top need to be as aggressive as possible in trying to eradicate that problem.

There is nothing aggressive about the Amethyst Initiative — to the extent that they will not even take a firm stand on dropping the age limit.

The organization says it chose its name because the Greeks associated amethyst with sobriety. A cursory search also reveals that Egyptians associated the stone with a freedom from guilt.

And it is this secondary association — even more than the first — that characterizes the organization’s effort.

Age — and whatever it might indicate of maturity — is beside the point.

Universities must make a stronger effort to educate students about and eliminate alcohol abuse on their campuses, for real and for good.

Rejected: Things I wish I’d said

The Table is the place to be if you’re in band, choir or orchestra. Veneer and a solid finish have kept this music department hangout spot looking good through the years, and, owing to the erratic scheduling of music classes, there’s almost always good company to be found here. The Table has a reputation for being the place for music majors to waste time. At least once in my four years, department faculty posted flyers around it reminding students to practice once in a while.

Why it didn’t make the cut: I knew too many people in the department to write a solid piece on The Table without interviewing a few friends.

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I love jazz, but a college radio station is the wrong place to listen to it. College radio should, to my mind, cater to the needs and whims of students, rather than those of jazz addicts in the Fresno area not numerous enough to warrant a viable commercial jazz station in the area.

Why it didn’t make the cut: Before I could flesh out this opinion, I was fired from my volunteer disc jockey gig at our same station. An awkward conflict of interest, if ever there was one.

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What’s up with Sigma Chi’s Crosswatch? I saw pictures of it in a YouTube video a friend showed me, and it looks like it involves pelting pledges with paint in front of a giant cross-shaped Chi. Though sources there would neither confirm nor deny that such a ritual exists, that this activity is on YouTube, given a name, and that the pictures appear to be outside their house is proof enough for me to feel no qualms about mentioning it in the school paper. Some blurry people appear to be in pain, and others appear to be in good spirits.

Why it didn’t make the cut: Sources declined to be named, and speculating about potential hazing would be in poor taste. Let’s not even mention how the last time we ran anything not-positive about any Greek-letter organization, whole stacks of The Collegian ended up in the trashcan of a ladies’ restroom near our office. Poor taste, indeed.

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Imagine this headline: Cafeteria Constantly Replaces Spoons. As a long-graduated tipster had it, the cafeteria went through a crate of silverware every week. Dorm-bound students must really need cheap cutlery.

Why it didn’t make the cut: Though I’m fascinated by petty theft — I’ll say no more than that I’ve heard of Limewire — I figured that Fresno State students would have about the same level of interest in it as they do national politics.

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Fresno State Coke addicts have long found other suppliers, so I had a great angle for an otherwise average story. I wanted to write something for a class about why Fresno State has its Pepsi contract, and it turned out Coca-Cola wasn’t even interested when prompted to give an offer. That’s about as far as I got.

Why it didn’t make the cut: Brant Daniels was shot as I was about to finish up my floundering Pepsi story, so I dropped the feature and wrote instead about Daniels’ vigil in the free speech area.

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“Mijo Lady” Molly of the dorm cafeteria — the nicest person you’d ever meet — had her hours increased shortly after the publication of an apparently popular profile I wrote about her in my first semester of the journalism major. Whether or not it’s true, she credited the publication of that profile with her getting a full-time position.

Why it didn’t make the cut: I’m not one to brag, though I had been proud of that profile. Except for two outrageous errors in reporting that I found out about much later, and will carry with me to my grave. I didn’t feel like bringing them back up.

Beer will still flow at Wolf Pack football games

RENO, Nev. (AP)- Beer sales will continue at Nevada’s Mackay Stadium during the upcoming Wolf Pack football season with stepped up security and increased monitoring at concession stands, university president Milton Glick said Tuesday.

School officials had considered banning beer sales after a number of fans had expressed concerns that “alcohol had a negative impact on their game-day experience,” Glick said. Read more

Alcohol safety a campus priority

This semester, a random sampling of 3,500 Fresno State students will receive e-mails requesting they participate in a survey regarding their alcohol habits.

The data collected from the anonymous survey will be used in the design of the next Fresno State alcohol awareness poster. These are the posters that have statements like “Most Fresno State students only have 0-3 drinks when they party,” or “8 out of 10 eat before and/or while drinking,” and are posted on bulletin boards all around campus.

The wording behind the message is based on something called “social norms methodology” which says that certain behaviors happen because others believe “everyone is doing it.” The way to change the behavior is to change student perceptions about what happens, according the National Social Norms Institute’s Web site.

The National Social Norms Institute awarded a grant to Fresno State in 2001 that kick-started the Alcohol Awareness Council, which organizes the posters and surveys, and also some alcohol-free events on campus.

The survey is conducted every spring, and the goal is to develop at least two new posters each semester based on the results. The surveys, designed by the American College Health Association, are sent to students through their Fresno State e-mail accounts. They ask about a number of topics besides alcohol use, such as mental health, drug use and nutrition.

The survey is voluntary, but students who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for one of three $100 prizes.

Diana Traje, a project assistant and graduate student seeking her master’s degree in public health, said the council tries to change the design and the message so that students will notice.

Traje said they look at the data and “see which statistics will have an impact.”

The process behind the posters is a collaborative one. Cherie Pettitt, project director and a health educator at the Health Center, said that the council will sit down and try to come up with ideas for the posters.

But they also work with graphic design classes on campus, asking students to help design the posters. Students whose work is chosen are rewarded with either cash or gift certificates to the Kennel bookstore.

The council also repeatedly surveys students about the posters’ effectiveness.

“We ask questions like ‘Does it appeal to you?’ and ‘Do you believe it?’” Pettitt said. She added the council wanted to know about students’ opinions “all the way from the message to the design.”

‘Tis the season

IT WAS 4:03 A.M. when my phone started ringing off the hook.

In my passed-out, irritated stupor I reached for my cell phone and promptly pressed the ignore button when I saw my best friend’s name on the caller ID. I had only said goodbye to her two hours before, but then again she was so drunk when we parted ways she probably didn’t remember. It was something we could discuss in the morning, like we had so many times before.

When I woke, I saw that my friend had left me a voice mail. As I entered my password to retrieve the message I felt confident that this would be some of her best work, as her most creative and hilarious message comedy is almost always inspired by a few stiff cocktails.

My eager, playful excitement turned to shock and horror as I listened to what she had to say.

“You are the first one I am telling,” she said softly between sobs. “I got my third DUI tonight. I am so scared and I don’t know what to do. I’m going to jail.”

Situations like this always seem so surreal, like surely this can’t be happening. You rack your brain thinking of all the things you should or could have done differently while silently praying that the man behind the curtain is going to come out at any minute screaming you’ve been caught on candid camera.

After reality set in, I have to admit that I asked myself, “How could anyone be stupid enough to get a third DUI? Wouldn’t you at least get the picture after the second one?”

Oh if only life could be so simple and everyone could be as smart as me.

The truth is, I don’t have a DUI, but I probably should. It is so easy to have a few drinks and think you are perfectly fine to drive. The whole problem with being intoxicated is that you don’t think clearly, make wise decisions or consider the consequences. It seems like such a ridiculous notion to call a taxi when you have the keys in your hand and your car parked right outside.

With the holidays fast approaching, I’d like to propose a toast: Here’s to recognizing the dangerous consequences and costly outcomes of drunken decisions before it’s too late. And for all of us who need a little help in this department, here’s a holiday DUI survival guide to get us all safely into 2008 and every new year to come.

Be aware of how much you are drinking. I believe this rule is violated most because people simply do not understand the alcohol content of what they are drinking or how it affects them over time. One drink per hour does not mean you can drink any size container, full of any type of liquor

According to the Washington State DUI blog, one drink per hour equals: 12 ounces of beer with 3 percent alcohol content, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquor or 1 ounce of 100 proof liquor.

One gin martini is typically 3 to 4 ounces of 94-proof liquor, which means if you have two martinis in an hour you are consuming eight to 10 drinks in two hours.

Malt liquor beer usually has an alcohol content of six to 10 percent. One 40-ounce malt liquor beer equals four to five drinks in one hour, according to the Web site.

Also be aware of how much your body can handle when it comes to alcohol intake. “Your weight, rate of consumption, amount of food consumed, mood and consumption of illicit or prescribed drugs will impact the alcohol absorption rate. Many people believe water or food dilute your breath alcohol content level. This is not true. Food and water impact absorption rate,” the blog reports.

If all else fails, consider the consequences. According to Department of Safety Internet DUI facts, “a single DUI conviction could cost you as much as $5,000 or more after all fines and fees have been paid. The cost could be even higher if you don’t qualify for the restricted driver license for driving to work during your suspension.”

The best defense is always a good offense. Designate a driver before you go out or call a cab if you even remotely think that you aren’t safe to drive.

Don’t take the chance because it is just not worth it. Nothing will kill the holiday spirit like receiving that at 4 a.m. phone call, or even worse — having to make it.

Bulldog fans struggle to stay dry

Five shots of vodka in 10 minutes might be typical for a Fresno State student attending a football game at Bulldog Stadium.

Bulldog Stadium has been alcohol free for two seasons now and there are concerns of whether this has created a binge drinking environment.

Charles B. Reed, chancellor of the California State University system, issued an executive order to ban alcohol sales at sporting events in December 2005.

Thomas Vath, a liberal studies major, said he and his friends find the policy ridiculous. They attend the games more intoxicated compared to when alcohol was allowed.

“We pretty much drink before the game to get drunk,” Vath said. “Then we sneak booze in to stay drunk throughout the game.”

Vath, a 20-year-old from East Greenbush, N.Y., explained how some of his friends sneak in alcohol by taping their flasks to their legs or stuffing their flasks into a sleeve of their shirts.

Some law enforcement officials, however, said alcohol abuse at games is on the decline.

Ted Guerrero, a corporal from the University Police Department, said the ban of alcohol at the stadium has made a huge difference.

“The first dry game was a nightmare. We had over 50 medical calls in the first quarter,” Guerrero said. “But now that the public is used to the policy, we don’t have nearly the same amount of problems as we did last year.”

Guerrero mentioned how they recently started to issue a $25 fine to those caught sneaking in alcohol. He feels this potentially discourages fans from abusing alcohol at the games.

Guerrero said the University Police Department has been able to cut back on the amount of police officers on duty at the games.

He also added that students haven’t been the biggest problems.

“It’s those tailgaters. Once the game starts, they continue to drink in the parking lot even though it’s against policy,” Guerrero said.

Ilich Lopez, a 22-year-old marketing major from San Jose, said he feels the ban of alcohol is dangerous for students because they are showing up to the games inebriated just to make it through halftime.

“I’ve seen girls take five shots in 10 minutes,” Lopez said. “They’re blacked out before they even make it to the game.”

Lopez said it might be safer if the CSU system allowed alcohol at sporting events again. He admitted to drinking more now than he used to back when beer was sold at the football games.

When young adults binge drink, they are putting themselves at great risk, according to Michelle Spruit, a Cardio-Vascular Technician from Kaiser Permanente.

Spruit said when alcohol is first consumed it absorbs into the blood stream and is later metabolized by the liver.

If a person has one standard drink, the liver can usually metabolize it within one hour.

If excessive alcohol is consumed within that hour window, the blood becomes saturated and the alcohol redirects itself into body tissues and the blood stream, until the liver is ready to metabolize it.

“I don’t think people realize the harm they are causing their body,” Spruit said. “It’s a shock to the body when you binge drink. Both your brain and your liver don’t know how to react.”

Although Guerrero said the number of intoxicated students has seemed to decrease, he admitted to witnessing some students still showing up to the games under the influence.

“Of course students are still drinking before the game,” Guerrero said. “We still catch people trying to bring in stuff all the time. But I think the majority have learned their lesson from last year. Either they’re not drinking before the game anymore, or they’ve just learned to outsmart us.”

Homecoming Wellness Carnival promotes safe partying

Homecoming week is prime time for Fresno State party-goers.

This fact is what convinced this year’s student wellness ambassadors to combine forces with University Student Union productions and numerous other groups on campus and create alcohol education events at Thursday’s event, the Wicked Wellness Carnival.

“This event is not meant to be anti-alcohol, but it is meant to show students the effects of drinking and how to party responsibly,” Wellness Coordinator Kathy Yarmo said.

The event also emphasized the positive — most students at Fresno State are careful when attending parties where alcoholic beverages are present.

Creative posters designed by students with statistics like “7 out of 10 Fresno State students have 0-3 drinks when partying” and “8 out of 10 students eat before consuming alcohol or during” decorated the booths. Many huddled around waiting to receive airbrushed tattoos, face paintings, free food and T-shirts.

Some interactive activities at the carnival were geared specifically toward informing students about negative effects of excessive alcohol use, while other events were centered on homecoming.

The famous drunk goggles appeared as a twist on an inflated obstacle course.

“There are three different goggles here each representing a different blood alcohol level and using these goggles allow individuals to experience the effects of alcohol in a safe setting,” said Amy Armstrong, university police public information officer.

“I’ve never been drunk before and if the goggles are any indication of what it’s like to be drunk then I don’t want to be,” freshman Cody Madsen said about the goggles and obstacle course he participated in. “It may be fun in this environment, but it wouldn’t be fun in a real life situation.”

Another activity, human bowling, also used the drunken eye-wear. Vang Lee, a sophomore nursing major, decided to try being the human bowling ball; he was strapped in a large metal ball and rolled around. He said the experience “made [him] feel bizarre and dizzy.”

The student-run event took a lot of time to plan and required the help of many student organizations.

“There are maybe ten wellness ambassadors at most and we couldn’t do this all ourselves, but Social Norms, USU productions, Student Health Science Association and many other student organizations came together and wanted to help us throw the event,” said Mary-Cruz Rivera, a student wellness ambassador and member of the Student Health Science Association.

All of the activities were meant to give students valuable information about partying safely, while pumping them up for the upcoming homecoming game.

Wellness Carnival places emphasis on alcohol

Wellness Services will be putting on the Wicked Wellness Carnival on Thursday. Starting at 10 a.m., students will have the opportunity to participate in numerous “safe” activities, including paying a dollar to dunk a professor. Proceeds from the anti-drinking-themed event will benefit Alcoholics Anonymous.

The carnival is just one of two events happening at Fresno State this week related to National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW). The other is Milk and Cookies Night, which runs Wednesday from 10 p.m. to midnight in the University Courtyard.

On the national level, NCAAW is actually taking place next week, said Kathleen Yarmo, wellness coordinator for University Health and Psychological Services. But Wellness Services decided to move it up a week to pair it with homecoming activities.

The carnival will kick off in the Memorial Garden south of the Kennel Bookstore at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Activities include a pumpkin decorating contest, a haunted house, palm reading, face painting, airbrushed tattoos, “human bowling” and an obstacle course. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 500 students at the carnival. Barbecued corn from the Farm Market and other foods will be provided.

But one of the main attractions is the dunking, Yarmo said. From noon to 1 p.m., students can dunk their professors that day as a fun fundraiser. One dollar will buy one ball — and one shot — at the dunking.

Professors participating in the dunk contest include Tim Anderson, the Bulldog Marching Band director, Bob Pettitt from the kinesiology department, L.J. Fine from Recreation Administration and Leisure Studies and Michael Caldwell from the music department. Each professor gets a 15-minute time slot at the plank.

“They are the braver ones that we have on campus,” student wellness ambassador coordinator Tara Powers, said of the professors.

Powers also touted the obstacle course, which pits students in DUI goggles against a difficult course.

The goggles, which impair vision and judgement, complicate a course that’s “hard to begin with,” Powers said.

Every activity at the carnival involves some aspect of wellness, Yarmo said.

“Wellness isn’t just physical,” Yarmo said. “It’s also social wellness, psychological wellness, emotional wellness, career wellness. We try to tap into all these components in different ways.”

Powers and other wellness ambassadors will be coordinating the event.

The point of NCAAW is to offer students a fun yet safe way to enjoy homecoming week, Yarmo said.

“It’s just an opportunity for students to just have fun while infusing social norms messages,” Yarmo said.

WEB-SPE@K: Do athletes have an obligation to act more responsible?

Fresno State football player Jason Shirley has been suspended indefinitely after being cited for driving under the influence and a hit-and-run Monday night, his second suspension and the team’s fifth for the season. Shirley’s first suspension this season was for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Do university athletes have an obligation to act more responsible than the average student? Is the athletic department too hard on its athletes?
Read more

Greek values: why not try dry?

Greek-letter organizations have purposes. It’s no admission to note their mission.

Delta Zeta exists, in part, “to promote the moral and social culture of its members, and to develop plans for guidance and unity in action.”

Sigma Chi would “cultivate and maintain the high ideals of friendship, justice, and learning.”

Kappa Kappa Gamma wants to involve “its members in a close bond of friendship, seeking to instill in them a spirit of mutual love and helpfulness.”

I don’t say these organizations are represented in the comments of a recent article. I don’t say that these specific purposes are violated. I say they seem to imply a common ground — righteousness; meaningful self-reflection; a healthy, social atmosphere — that seems to be largely ignored.
Read more

Bulldog Stadium remains ‘dry’ after one year

For Bulldog football season ticket holder Bob Labrucherie, banning alcohol at Fresno State sporting events equals calmer crowds.
“I think it’s good,” the 50-year-old Labrucherie said. “It’s good for keeping the crowd under control. I’ve noticed the crowd is quieter.”

Labrucherie, a Madera resident and a season ticket holder for 10 years, recalled watching the actions of intoxicated football fans before the ban.

“There was one person who was spilling beer on a lot of people around him,” Labrucherie said. “I noticed sometimes, walking out of the stadium, people who were obviously drunk.”

As Fresno State starts the second year of alcohol-free sporting events on university-owned property, school officials and University Police report fewer alcohol-related security problems at football games.

Amy Armstrong, public information officer for the University Police Department, said most alcohol incidents decreased by half during the first year of the ban.

“There were less incidents of people just being drunk in public, which is illegal,” Armstrong said. “When people are drunk, they tend to act out, so that has decreased at the football games.”

Paul Ladwig, associate athletic director for external relations, said the ban hasn’t dampened the tremendous fan support. He said that more families returned to Bulldog Stadium after the ban last year.

“We want families and kids to come and enjoy and have a great time at Bulldog football games,” Ladwig said. “Overall, we do have a better atmosphere in the stadium.”

Charles B. Reed, chancellor of the California State University system, issued an executive order on Dec. 23, 2005 prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages at athletic events held in university-owned and operated facilities in the 23-campus system. For Fresno State, the order bans alcohol sales at football, baseball and softball games, but not for events at the Save Mart Center.

President John D. Welty said in an e-mail that Reed imposed the ban “to improve the intercollegiate athletic experience for spectators at athletic events.”

Although Fresno State could have waited to implement the ban until their alcohol concession contracts expired at the end of the 2007-2008 school year, school officials decided to end alcohol sales two years early, in September 2006.

“We had received several complaints from fans about irresponsible consumption of alcoholic beverages in the stadium,” Welty said. “We had been discussing the need to make this change even before the policy was adopted at the system level. It was our belief that an immediate change would improve the fan experience.”

The executive order also restricted the advertising of beer and wine on CSU campuses, including sporting events. According to the directive, advertising messages must promote the responsible use of alcohol, eliminating any reference to the number of drinks.

“There can still be alcohol signage [at football games],” Ladwig said. “That signage has to be in a ratio of 50-50 with responsible drinking signage.”

Welty, chairman of the CSU Alcohol Policies and Prevention Programs Committee, led the effort to re-examine CSU alcohol guidelines with a committee made up of students, faculty and administrators.

“In the aftermath of a few tragic events, including the death of a student at Chico State, it was decided to conduct a complete review of our alcohol policies and programs,” Welty said in the e-mail. “Our conclusions were that a comprehensive system policy would lead to dramatic improvements and a reduction of irresponsible consumption of alcoholic beverages.”

Each of the 23 campuses in the CSU system designed an individual alcohol education and prevention program. The committee presents progress reports every two years to the Board of Trustees. Welty said the results indicate there has been a significant decrease in irresponsible drinking behavior since 2001.

In the third progress report presented on July 10, 2007, Fresno State was highlighted for creating an improved atmosphere at football games with the early enactment of the ban on alcohol sales and the creation of Bulldog Boulevard, an alcohol-free family fun zone.

Bulldog Boulevard, located on the east side of Bulldog Stadium in the Red Lot, attracts families to football games, Ladwig said. The area, open three hours before kickoff, provides families with musical entertainment, food vendors, inflatable games in the fun zone and video games in the Dog Pound.

“I think it’s been very successful,” Ladwig said. “I think it’s always a work in progress to figure out other vendors and items that we can bring to Bulldog Boulevard. Having areas where it’s a family fun zone that’s alcohol-free is a great addition to what we do on game day.”

Justin Bedwell, a Fresno native and a football season ticket holder, brought his 2-year-old son Ethan to Bulldog Boulevard before the Sept. 1 game against Sacramento State.

“I like it, I think it’s pretty cool,” the 30-year-old Bedwell said. “You can get some nice meals, some entertainment for the kids before the game. It’s well done.”

Bedwell, a Red Seat season ticket holder for four years, remains undecided on the effectiveness of the alcohol ban.

“It definitely promotes more of a family-friendly atmosphere, so yes I would say it’s good for people with kids,” Bedwell said. “My only drawback is my section seemed to be responsible anyway, so it seems like they’re punishing the good people as well as the bad. All in all, it’s probably a good thing.”

Some students also question the usefulness of the ban.

Tristan Bufete, 21, said the ban possibly leads to more “pre-partying” before the game, with students “loading up” on alcohol before they arrive at the stadium.

“You don’t need to drink to enjoy a game,” Bufete said, “but it’s so intrinsic in the experience that people will do it anyway.”

Sober students less rowdy, still want alcohol

It’s been one year since the powers that be removed alcohol from Bulldog Stadium, and student reaction remains mixed.

Jason Trevino, a senior history major, said the no-alcohol policy was notable in the home football opener against Sacramento State.

The ban also means less money for the athletic department and ultimately the university, he said.

“I don’t think they should have banned it,” he said. “I think they should bring it back, maybe control it for just a section.”

Dietetics senior Clint Lara didn’t go to the game, but said the fans would probably be less boisterous.

“It kind of kills the home team momentum,” he said. “It’s good and bad.”

There are other ways for unscrupulous students.

“Now we have to sneak it in instead of buying it,” he said.

Others aren’t sure why the policy went into effect.

Lara said it’s to promote a family atmosphere, but Carly Cahoon, a health science senior, said it had to do with curtailing underage drinking.

“I think it’s worse off because people just get belligerently drunk before a game,” she said.

Freshman Grace DeMarco, a liberal studies major, called the ban pointless.

“People just get drunk before the games,” she said. “People are still drunk during the games.

“I don’t think it makes any sense. Either way, people are going to drink.”

Steve Rendon, a junior history major, said he likes to drink.

“I’m a drinker,” he said. “[The ban is] bad.”

Rendon was more practical about it.

“If we’re not going to do so well this season, we need something to keep our minds busy.”

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