• Home
• News
  • News Briefs
• Arts & Entertainment
• Sports
• Opinion
• Multimedia
  • Video
  • Galleries
  • Interactive
• Blog

Campus alcohol arrests down

From 2005 to 2007, the most frequently occurring crimes at Fresno State have been liquor law violations. More than 600 incidents of liquor law violations have been reported on campus and in student housing, far out-pacing other high-number crimes like burglary, auto theft and drug offenses.

While the university’s annual security report shows a decline in the number of arrests for liquor law violations on campus during this time, the report also shows a big increase in what the university calls “disciplinary referrals” for liquor law violations.

According to the campus’ 2008 Annual Security Report:

• In 2005 there were 80 arrests for liquor law violations on campus and in student housing, compared with 100 disciplinary referrals;
• In 2006, there were 24 arrests, compared with 207 referrals;
• In 2007, there were seven arrests, compared with 196 referrals.

University Police released the report earlier this semester. The crime statistics must be reported each year in accordance with the 1998 Jeanne Clery Act, which mandates that an annual security report with statistics of reported crimes on or around campus must be made available to all students and staff. The report must also include institutional policies on issues like drug and alcohol use, weapons and violence.

According to Paul Oliaro, Ph.D, the vice president of student affairs, Fresno State has made a concerted effort in the last several years to promote alcohol education and responsible drinking on campus. But those efforts, he said, must balance with enforcement of the law.

Oliaro said the university’s Alcohol Safety Council has a faculty pledge to make alcohol education programs available to students. He said more than 40 faculty members are involved with the subcommittee, and that the faculty involved share this information with students in classes.

“We believe our efforts have made an impact, though we know circumstances will arise to affect the number of arrests and referrals for discipline from year to year,” Oliaro said.

Each case is different

According to the campus policy regarding alcohol use, students age 21 and over may consume alcohol on campus in the privacy of their residences if they have approval from the director of housing. Students may not be under the influence of alcohol elsewhere on campus.

Students cannot drink alcohol outside their rooms or in any public area, or they may have to answer to University Police. Students who are caught violating the policy may be arrested or may face a disciplinary referral.

Amy Armstrong, public information officer for the University Police, said many of the liquor law violations are reported from the student housing area. University Police responds to calls about underage drinking in the dorms and can arrest students and also make them pour out their beer.

“There isn’t really a typical example of a liquor law violation,” Armstrong said. “They are all different. But most are for minors in possession of alcohol.”

Referrals to Judicial Affairs

Breaking the liquor laws can earn students a bundle of punishment.

Campus police reports show that when a student is caught violating the alcohol policy in the university housing area, the reports are sometimes forwarded to the dean of students and the director of student housing for further discipline, when appropriate. Campus police reports can also be forwarded to the Fresno District Attorney’s office.

According to Joyce Ester, the associate vice president of judicial affairs, punishment from Judicial Affairs for liquor law violations can result in anything from probationary status to suspension from the university, depending on the severity of the crime.

Judicial Affairs is the university’s office that disciplines students, separate from civil and criminal justice authorities. According to Oliaro, Ester handles all disciplinary cases as a judicial officer.

“If someone is going to be expelled, then it’s coming through this office,” Ester said.

According to Ester, once a police report with a complaint about a student is received by Judicial Affairs, a letter is sent to the student. Then, the student must attend an informal conference with Ester where they can respond to the violation and possibly resolve it. Ester said that most student conduct matters are resolved at the informal conference stage.

For minor offenses occurring in the University Housing area, Oliaro has also appointed Michele Davis as a judicial officer. More serious offenses are still handled by Ester, he said.

According to Davis, there are disciplinary sanctions that are imposed on students for violating the alcohol policy. Sanctions include warnings, fines, mandatory room changes and termination of housing license agreements. Residents of the University Courtyard may also be required to go to alcohol education classes, do community service or even be assigned a reading or writing assignment for liquor law violations.

Enforcement continues

Armstrong also said that University Police isn’t the only agency contributing to the Clery report numbers. Since the university’s boundaries touch the cities of both Fresno and Clovis, some of the statistics come from the Fresno and Clovis police departments, she said.

According to the security report, Fresno and Clovis police have contributed an additional 64 arrests for liquor law violations for the public areas bordering the campus.

By the time a student has completed his or her requirements in response to a liquor law violation, that student may have been arrested, stripped of all alcohol, assigned community service, attended alcohol education classes, paid fines and more.

Despite the time and resources involved with the penalties, balancing the high number of liquor law violations with the university’s focus on responsible drinking and enforcement of the law will continue to be a challenge.

Oliaro said: “This is an ongoing effort. I’ve been working on this [myself] for six years.”

Crime stats online

For more information about campus crime,

• Click here for the full 2008 Annual Security Report and a one-page statistical summary.

• Or, you can request a copy by visiting the University Police Department on Barstow Avenue or the Police Pavilion Center inside the University Student Union.

Wellness is ‘Wicked’

The second annual Wicked Wellness Carnival focused on educating students about drunken driving through fun activities.

ASI elects new execs, revises code of conduct

In the wake of the resignation of ASI President Mackee Mason and Executive Vice President Sandra Flores, Associated Students, Inc., elected new executives to those positions Wednesday, Oct. 15. The senators also voted on amendments to the code of conduct.

Drinking age should stay at 21

I DON’T DRINK AND I ALSO DON’T AGREE IN CHANGING the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. I’ve heard it before; people ask me why I care if the legal drinking age changes given that I don’t drink.

The truth is that before, I wasn’t opposed to reducing the legal drinking age. I thought it wouldn’t affect me because I didn’t drink.

But I was wrong. Three years ago, my thoughts about drinking changed drastically.

My friend, who I called ‘Calde,’ was killed by a drunk driver.

Calde was only 22 years old and was engaged to be married to my cousin Elizabeth. But he was killed two months before their wedding. Calde was on his way to visit my cousin Elizabeth when he was hit by the drunk driver.

Instead of Elizabeth welcoming her fiancé into her home, she received the worst news of her life.

I remember my cousin locking herself in her room for weeks, not being able to do anything but cry. It was hard for everyone to lose such a close friend.

Calde was a son, a fiancé, a brother of seven and a friend to many. He was the class clown and he always made everyone laugh.

Yet, it was much more difficult for my cousin to accept that her fiancé was killed — especially when she had to sell her wedding dress to get money for her fiancé’s funeral.

This incident affected my cousin a lot, but it also affected the way I saw drinking.

The driver, who killed Calde, was over 21 but he still didn’t have the common sense to not drive drunk.
How much more will an 18 year-old who just got a license?

Of course, I understand not all people are irresponsible, but I prefer to keep all possible threats off the road, where they might be a danger to others.

President John Welty recently made it very clear that he would not support the Amethyst Initiative and he rejected the invitation in September.

The Amethyst Initiative is an organization comprised of U.S. college presidents and chancellors that are calling for the reconsideration of U.S. drinking age laws, particularly the minimum age of 21, which was established in 1984 by the National Minimum Purchase Age Act.

Although many may not agree, I support President Welty’s decision to not support the Amethyst Initiative. I believe the legal drinking age should stay at age 21.

I’ve heard many people say that we should reduce the drinking age to 18 because teenagers drink more as an act of rebellion.

While others say that keeping the drinking age at 21 saves lives, I prefer to save lives rather then giving into a teenager’s rebellion.

Because, one day the life saved might be my family, my friend or my fiancé.

There is no way to prove how many lives will be saved from potential car accidents if the legal drinking age is kept at age 21, but we can show how many lives might be lost if we change the drinking age to 18.

An Arizona Department of Public Safety report found that traffic fatalities increased more than 35 percent after the state’s legal alcohol purchase age was lowered from age 21 to 19.

Statistics show that lowering the legal drinking age is fatal.

But, personal experience makes one feel the pain of losing a loved one to a drunk driver.

And there is no way that allowing a teenager to drink before age 21 is worth a person’s life.

At least not in my book.

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.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

5201 N. Maple Ave., M/S SA42 Fresno, CA 93740-8027 | (559) 278-5732 | collegian@csufresno.edu