Campus eatery stands firm against underage drinking BY REBECCA COHEN SENIOR NEWS WRITER
Raising your right wrist at the Rat is as common as buying a pitcher of beer. The sole on-campus bar uses wristbands on the right hand as a system for verifying the legal age to drink alcohol. But with its larger location at the Student Activities Center, are underage students less likely to get caught with alcohol? Zoa James, a student manager at the Rat, said that drinking alcohol is monitored and under control. “Underage drinking is not tolerated at all in any way, shape or form,” he said. “Students who are caught with fake IDs, we confiscate them and turn them over to the dean of students.” Students like junior Meghan Murphy, who is underage, believes that a cup of beer doesn’t justify the risk. “It’s pretty much a known thing on campus that you just don’t do it,” she said. “Drinking when you’re not 21 is a huge ‘no-no’ at the Rat.” However, some underage students are willing to try, regardless of the consequences. “I went to the Rat before fraternity ‘bid day’ on [Sept. 6] and drank beer there from 11 to 5, and I’m only 19,” said a UM sophomore who agreed to speak with the condition of anonymity. “My friend who is 21 slipped me her wristband so I didn’t get caught. But then again, it was pretty packed and chaotic that day.” The Rat is aware that there are some loopholes in the verification system. When servers become overwhelmed, their supervisors reportedly pulled them aside to make sure they had everything under control. “Sometimes it happens,” said Everett Price, director of the Rat. “We’re very diligent about it, but the criminals are always ahead of the cops. When the servers are overwhelmed, we help them out. We emphasize the importance of IDing everyone to our staff – even if they’re 80 years old, we ID them.” According to Price, the Rat’s staff is required to complete training every semester with Responsible Vendors Inc., a program that trains employees who serve alcohol. However, servers still prove fallible. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MONICA HERNDON
SEE DRINKING, PAGE 2