On Oct. 16th, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission showed upin full force to patrol The Boulevard while students, faculty,alumni and family were tailgating before the football game. TheTABC, with guns on their hips, handed out 19 alcohol violations andarrested one student.
Many questioned why the TABC invited themselves to SMU’stailgating tradition, or, rather, if the university itself invitedthem. According to SMU’s Police Chief, Michael Snellgrove,”The TABC was not invited.” Although SMU is a privateschool, the TABC is a state police agency, which allows them”jurisdiction anywhere in Texas,” added ChiefSnellgrove. Even though the SMU PD did not invite the TABC theygladly welcome them. “Frankly, we (the SMU PD) can use allthe assistance we can get,” Chief Snellgrove concluded.
Due to the intense presence of security, there has been a largedecrease in attendance to the past couple tailgating eventscompared to the overwhelming congregations in the past.”There is a huge difference…its bringing school spiritdown,” saidAdam Haller, a sophomore.
In addition to a smaller crowd at SMU’s, oncemost-prideful event, tailgating, there is also a decrease in thenumber of Greek parties hosted. Although fraternity parties are ona decline, alcohol violations are on a rise. According to the crimestatistics listed on the SMU Police Web site, 300 liquor lawviolations were given out in 2003, compared to this year’sstatistic of 428 liquor law violations. Keep in mind that 2004 isnot yet over, and the statistic of 428 has a high probability ofincreasing.
Chief Snellgrove said, “We have no special‘crackdown’ programs underway.” SMU’s Deanof Student Life, Dee Cisco, agrees with him and adds, “Idon’t think we are doing anything differently pertaining toalcohol violations.”
However, not all students agree with Snellgrove and Cisco.”[SMU police] have way increased on security. They have noshame anymore,” commented a second-year student who wished toremain anonymous.
But do SMU’s recent security problems derive from anational issue? The recent deaths of college students, relating toalcohol abuse, at the University of Colorado and Louisiana StateUniversity are creating stirred emotions. “It’sscary…people can really die!” Cisco said.
Cisco, a former Greek affiliate, feels that Greek life is an”important part of the school’s social environment andcollege experiment.” However, she also believes “therehas to be consequences to unlawful acts.”
Texas has a “zero tolerance” law pertaining tominors and drinking. That is a tough obstacle for SMU to turn itsback on. Dean Cisco hopes students understand this, and sends themessage: “We are doing our diligence to comply with the law,and still make it fun.”
For all of you students waiting for a change in the newtailgating rule, one may possibly be on the way; it lies inSMU’s Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct, a document everystudent signs, is written by the university’s student senate.The code provides the laws students must abide by. The studentsenate is currently working together to amend the Code of Conduct,and bring back the “old ways” of SMU’s glorioustradition of tailgating.
