As all classes have transitioned online due to COVID-19, on-campus activities will physically not be held. When returning, students will be facing a policy change removing alcohol service at Student Activity events; including a cancelation of the anticipated beer garden.
This new change comes on the heels of a hard semester for the Student Life office. After discontent with how events had played out in the past that included alcohol, the office felt they needed to make a positive change.
Maddie Bruegger, senior and President of Campus Activities Board, explains.
“The Student Life office is trying to promote community and fun in a way that’s wholesome and good for students. They’re trying to create events that aren’t centered around alcohol and show that students can have fun without it,” Bruegger said.
While the new ban seems to be focused on a sober and fun community, it heavily impacts different student organizations. This includes the Student Government Association and Campus Activities Board, which put on some of the largest events for students in the spring semester.
Events such as Trivia Night and Springfest have hosted beer gardens for students 21 and above, which have been a big motivation for upperclassmen to attend.
Since many events will no longer be taking place during the remaining semester, it’s difficult to predict how the lack of alcohol will impact overall attendance.
Student organizations seem to be taking the recent policy shift in stride, instead focusing their energy on creating different types of events for the student body. Bruegger elaborates on this topic.
“The way Campus Activities Board is going to handle it is by continuing to create dynamic opportunities for students that they wouldn’t typically get in Atchison. Especially this semester, we want to make the events unique and something students haven’t experienced before,” Bruegger said.
Maura Buhler, sophomore, gives her opinion about those underage and their impact.
“For myself and other people who aren’t 21, I don’t know if it’s really going to affect us. We weren’t consuming it in the first place, we were going to these events because we wanted to go and have a good time,” Buhler said.
While the real influence of this regulation will have to stand the test of time and turnout numbers, the Student Life office plans on reevaluating this rule based on the results, ultimately determining if it will become permanent.
