Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Mondav. August 23,1999
Alcohol rules rigid, but exceptions exist
By Matthew Friedrichs Special to the Kansan
The rules for serving alcohol on campus are meant to enforce the state and national drinking age.
"It's so hard to determine if someone is 21 or not," said Provost David Shulenburger.
Alcohol may only be served in rooms and buildings designated by Chancellor Robert Hemenway. The provost's office has a one-page application that groups are supposed to submit two weeks before an event. He and Hemenway review the applications to decide whether to allow alcohol.
Union catering employees must serve the alcohol.
The rules, including a question on the application about whether undergraduate students will be present, are intended to ensure that the University follows the law.
"About the only way we feel we can be consistent is to use really rough screens," he said.
As a result, Shulenburger usually doesn't grant permission for alcohol if undergraduates will be present.
"If we had only graduate students,we probably wouldn't have these rules." Shulenburger said.
Last year, several approved events fell outside the guidelines set by the provost's office.
Most applicants submitted their requests well in advance, but at least 13 of the approved applications were submitted less than two weeks in advance. Several events also were approved despite the presence of undergraduates.
On May 7, Warner Ferguson, associate director of the Kansas and Burge Unions, faxed a request for a farewell event that evening for Jim Long, former director of the Kansas and Burge Unions, who was moving to a job as an assistant provost. The application was approved.
Ferguson's application indicated that four students, all older than 21, would be present.
The aerospace engineering department received approval for an event that undergraduate
students attended.
Mark Ewing, department chairman, asked to serve alcohol at an awards banquet that included the 55th reunion of aerospace engineering alumni.
After a series of memos between Ewing and Shulenburger, the event was approved on the condition that underage students would wear different color name tags and would not be served alcohol.
In a memo dated April 28, 1999, Shulenburger asked Ewing to change the event next year.
"I ask that as you plan your awards banquet for next year, you alter the schedule, perhaps by scheduling a separate event for alumni, donors and board members at which alcohol is served and dispensing with such service at the student-centered banquet."
Ewing said the drinks were part of culture.
"It's the sort of thing adults do before dinner," he said.
He said having the event off campus would have eliminated any controversy or involvement by the provost and chancellor.
"We actually had our 50th reunion at the Holidome, and there was no problem," Ewing said.
Melissa Birch, business professor and director of the Center for International Business, shares some of that frustration.
She organized on-campus presentations by business leaders. A way to thank the speakers for the time they had taken from their business day was to offer refreshments, including a glass of wine.
"I think it's ridiculous that we had to jump through so many hoops to get something so simple done," Birch said.
The rules for the press box will be slightly different when suite users move in for the first football game Sept. 11. Suite users will have to deliver alcohol the day before the game and will be responsible for dispensing alcohol in their own suite.
They also have to carry an $1 million insurance policy.
Edited by Darrin Peschka
Changing ideas fog booze service
Continued from page 1A
University-related departments, offices or organizations for 124 events.
The events ranged in size from 20 to 500 guests. About 8 of the thirty events held at the Natural History Museum and 12 of 80 events held at Spencer Art Museum included alcohol service. Other events where alcohol was served were held at the James Nalsmith Society Room adjacent to Allen Fieldhouse, the Kansas Union, the Lied Center, the Anthropology Museum, the Burge Union and the Continuing Education Building west of Kasold Drive.
The Athletics Department and University of Kansas Athletics Corporation had eight requests approved to serve alcohol at 21 events including receptions at the Naismith Room for all the home men's basketball games and a reception in Anschutz Sports Pavilion for high school football coaches who attended a clinic sponsored by football coach Terry Allen.
Bob Frederick, athletics director, said the new press box would not have been constructed if suite users could not serve alcohol to their guests.
He also said the department had a good track record entertaining guests.
"We certainly haven't had any problems in five years at the Naismith Room." Frederick said.
Up the Hill on west campus, bartenders served drinks at multiple events at the Lied Center.
Jackie Davis, director of the center, had one request for all 34 center-sponsored performances approved. Fred Pawicki, center director of operations, had three events, including a Chamber of Commerce mixer and a reception for Leadership Lawrence approved.
"In social settings for performing arts across the country, you can usually buy a glass of wine," Davis said. "It has been a nice benefit for donors to come to a reception and to be able to
Alcohol on Campus
have a drink with the artist."
Without permission to serve alcohol at the center, Davis said she could have to arrange receptions at the homes of patrons.
"None of our alumni have asked us to have it," Fincham said. "None have asked us not to have it."
In addition to entertaining guests at athletics and performing arts events, University groups provided drinks for alumni, professors, businessmen and prospective graduate students.
Jack Fincham, pharmacy dean, received permission to serve alcohol for a pharmacy reunion.
Rachel KesselImaryKANSAN
"You see it in other venues where people have a meal and share times or conversations with others. It's just an accepted custom in our society."
Melissa Birch, business professor, had permission to serve wine at six colloquia for small groups of business, liberal arts, engineering and journalism professors. Area business leaders involved in international trade spoke at the events sponsored by the Center for International Business.
"What are you going to serve them at 5:30, 6 o'clock? Coffee and cookies?" she said.
Alcohol is a social expectation and a way to say thank you to people who spoke for free. And the 20 to 25 guests drank less than two bottles of wine at each of the events, she said.
Among other events approved by the chancellor and provost:
Spencer Art Museum sponsored events for donors and volunteers.
KU Friends of the Libraries had two meetings.
The chancellor's office arranged a reception for state legislators the morning of the KU vs. K-State football game.
Clyde Stollenberg, professor of business, arranged a reception for Toro Hashimoto, who is the president of Fuji Bank in Japan and who studied economics at the University with
The chemistry department had an evening dinner for prospective graduate students.
a Fulbright scholarship in the 1950s.
■ Mike Reid, manager of the KU bookstores, received permission to serve wine at an annual open house for faculty and staff, but changing attitudes about alcohol are causing him to re-evaluate that decision even though he has received thanks from faculty members.
"Whether we offer wine in the future is now up in the air," Reid said.
The future is not cloudy for the press box. Alcohol will be allowed in the suites during the first game Sept. 11, but not everyone will serve drinks.
Frederick won't serve alcohol in his suite, which is on the same level as the media work room.
"I want to be able to have students in my booth, and I just don't think it's a good idea to have alcohol on the same level as the media." he said.
And Hemenway stresses that underage drinking will not be allowed in the press box.
"If we see people underaged being served alcohol in those facilities, we won't hesitate to act," he said.
Barbara Ballard, associate vice chancellor of student affairs, said the students perceived more of a double standard than actually existed.
"Ten years from now, they'll be up there, and they'll think there is nothing wrong with it," she said.
As for alcohol on campus, University guests will continue to enjoy an occasional drink. University officials say it is part of entertaining guests.
"People might not like it, but that's how the world operates," Ballard said.
Ballard, who is also a state representative, said she would vote against legislation banning alcohol on campus.
And a complete ban of alcohol is the only way the University could deal with alcohol and be completely consistent, Hemenway said.
"I don't think that's realistic," he said.
—Edited by Darrin Peschka
Alcohol timeline of events
October 1998 —
21 alcohol events
were approved.
July 1998 no alcohol events were approved.
December 1998 11 alcohol events were approved
September.1998 10 alcohol events were approved.
November 1998 — 21 alcohol events were approved. The University eliminates beer sales in Union and sends a letter to residents requesting that no beer be zero tolerance policy for alcohol on campus.
February 1999 — 15 alcohol events were approved. The University receives $450,000 from the Kansas Health Foundation to study alcoholism and implement social norms campaign.
March 1999 — 9 alcohol events were approved
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