Talk to long-time Geneseo alumni or people who have been associated with the college for a while and they’ll tell you all about the golden days of Geneseo – when there was a bar in Letchworth Dining Hall and of course, when we were the legendary “top party school” as ranked by Rolling Stone magazine.
Times have changed, certainly. In some ways, attitudes toward drinking have changed for the better. Raising the drinking age to 21, at the time, lowered the number of alcohol-related accidents and DWIs. And the reputation of a party school has surely been replaced by a tradition of academic excellence. What didn’t have to be demolished in this evolution, though, is the bar that stood on campus.
Imagine if, right now, Campus Auxiliary Services had a venue for catering alumni events and meetings in a professional setting. It is hardly a stretch to say that the offering of wine and spirits would enhance some of these occasions. In fact, for those who are 21 years old, a chance to practice behaving like an adult in such an atmosphere would be highly beneficial to future prospects.
Right now, a stigma against drinking prevents of-age students from openly engaging with faculty and community members in alcohol-related situations. If there were a bar on campus, there would be appropriate surroundings for these types of gatherings.
There is a whole realm of other activities such a venue would provide for students. LateKnight would undeniably get a boost from the new variety of high-attendance weekend options that would include mixers, live entertainment, karaoke, happy hours and cocktail parties.
Our student IDs, equipped with photo identification and the right technology, could prove useful carding mechanisms to prevent underage students from participating. This would help to create a healthy environment for drinking, one in which consumption is suitably regulated but encouraged in moderation.
The problem boils down to the stigma attached to alcohol consumption that is very much present in our culture. Its roots are invested in protecting our citizens from the dangers of drinking – which are many – but we are not in an age of prohibition: It is perfectly legal for 21-year-olds to drink. Instead of discouraging the act and forcing it to private settings where we have no supervision and no one in front of which to behave maturely, a bar on campus would create a profitable environment to work past the shameful aspects of alcohol intake and promote its celebratory, community appeal.