Friday, April 22, 2005
Officials at the University of Kansas need only look west on I-70 to see that union liquor sales won’t bring negative effects to campus.
Kansas State has sold 3.2 percent beer in its student union since 1995, and no major problems have occurred during the past decade, said K-State recreation manager Teri Eddy.
“I had my doubts, but its virtually been no problem whatsoever,” she said.
The K-State union, which holds 16 bowling lanes, several pool tables and a Subway restaurant, sells beer behind the front desk. Three beers are always on tap — Budweiser, Bud Light and Coors Light — and several other alcoholic beverages, such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade, are kept in a refrigerator in the back.
All beer is poured into plastic cups before given to customers for safety reasons, and pitchers are never used. On-tap beers can be purchased for $2 in 16 ounce cups, or $1.50 in 12 ounce cups. Beer sales stop at 1 in the morning.
Eddy said the union tried its hardest to cut down on underage drinking. On busy nights, wrist bands were given to of-age customers to control underage drinking. Patrons could purchase only one beer at a time, as
well, to discourage buying extra beverages and then giving them to underage customers.
“My name is on the liquor license and I don’t want to get in trouble,” Eddy said. “I’d be stupid not to think there are good ID’s out there, but we check everyone.”
People who come to the student union visibly drunk are also turned away without being served, Eddy said.
On average, union alcohol sales bring in anywhere between $4,000 and $5,500 a month, but the beer has helped bowling leagues more than anything, Eddy said.
“Our bowling leagues are much more popular now,” Eddy said. “Bowling is one of those sports that you can have a beer or two while playing. The good thing is nobody has much more than that, because then it hurts their game.”
Kansas State students said they enjoyed having a few drinks while playing pool or bowling, but few students go to the union for the sole purpose of getting drunk.
“I think it’s made the union a lot better place to hang out,” Kansas State junior Jared Kenney said. “You don’t see many drunks there, though. Most people go to Aggieville if they really want to party.”
Eddy attributed this student attitude to strict university rules, which notify a student’s parents when they get in trouble.
She also said that over the years, liquor sales was no longer a controversial topic and that the life of Mike Fine, University of Kansas recreation coordinator, would be much easier if the University brought back union liquor sales.
“There’s really no reason not to have it,” Eddy said. “We don’t promote it like bars do, and business has grown every night.”
Edited by Lori Bettes
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