By Sarah Metcalf
In an effort to cut down on underage drinking in residence halls, Housing Services will make changes to its policy next year.
Some residence halls on campus will be designated as “21-plus,” while others will only allow for underage students.
West Campus H, set to open in September 2004, and 407 Huntington St. were chosen as the 21-plus buildings because juniors and seniors usually choose the high number of singles and studios present in those buildings, said Carrie Lemasa, assistant director of on-campus housing.
West Campus H has fewer rooms than the other West Village structures, making it appropriate for the application of a new policy, but still leaving significant housing for those students who choose not to participate in the program.
Rooms in Loftman Hall and Davenport A will only be available to students under 21 next year. In past years, both dorms housed over 85 percent of students under the legal drinking age, Lemasa said.
“Loftman and Davenport A were selected as the under 21 option because … they are the two buildings with the highest allotment of five, six, and eight-person apartments and historically, the rising sophomores, who are for the most part under 21, apply in larger roommate sets,” Lemasa said.
Students who wish to select a space in the 21-plus building must be 21 as of Sept. 1, 2004, and students who wish to live in under-21 housing must not be 21 before April 24, 2005. The cut-off dates correspond to the move-in and move-out dates for next year, Lemasa said.
The lottery selection cards presented by students at the housing selection process will have pre-printed birth dates of each student so the housing officials know whether the student is eligible or not.
Lemasa said despite the new housing regulations in these buildings, guest and alcohol policies will remain the same.
“A resident of West H or 407 may sign in their guests according to the guest policy regardless of the guest’s age (as long as they have a valid photo ID),” she said. “Referring to the alcohol policy, the same rules apply. According to NU policy, a person who is 21 or over may possess or consume alcohol within the confines of personal consumption as defined by the ‘Guide to Residence Hall Living.’ A person under the age of 21 may not be in the presence of alcohol consumption as a guest in this room.”
According to the alcohol policy listed in the student handbook, students of legal drinking age may have no more than one 12-pack of beer (144 ounces), or one half-gallon of wine (64 ounces), or one pint (16 ounces) of hard liquor in their room at one time.
Although some students over 21 said they would take advantage of the new housing rules for practicality purposes, not all thought the policy would affect underage drinking.
“If I lived on campus I probably would participate,” said Jeff Hail, a junior chemical engineering major. “But I don’t think it’s going to stop people in the freshman and underage dorms from drinking — it hasn’t before.”
Another student agreed it was a good idea in theory, but the new policy probably wouldn’t make as big of a difference as the university is hoping.
“I guess if [those under 21] are hanging out with kids that are all under 21 too, then there’s no access to alcohol anymore,” said Cosmo DiGiulio, a sophomore music industry major. “But honestly, we’re all in the city, and it’s easy enough to do what you want.”
