GENDER-NEUTRAL BATHROOMS WHITEPAPER : PASSED Single-stalled and family-friendly, See the story on pg. 3
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012
Indiana’s Oldest College Newspaper
I fought the law... Excise believes program is success, but lacks quantitative evidence By BECCA STANEK news@thedepauw.com
In the first two months of the Indiana State Excise Police’s Intensified College Enforcement Program at DePauw University, 36 tickets have been issued in Greencastle, Ind. The Intensified College Enforcement Program (ICE), an initiative created by the Indiana State Excise Police and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, began on Feb. 6. The program, which will last throughout the end of the semester, aims to reduce underage drinking on college campuses. DePauw, along with Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. and Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. are the three schools currently being targeted by Excise. The program places Excise officers in plainclothes
and uniforms in locations where underage possession or consumption of alcohol is more likely to occur. Excise officers have been positioned near liquor stores, bars and taverns and other locations where underage drinking is prevalent. “We are mostly around places with alcohol permits or places that have encourage underage drinking or where underage drinking has happened in the past,” said Corporal Travis Thickstun, head of media relations for the Indiana State Excise Police. “We are basically targeting bars, liquor stores, any party locations.” According to Thickstun, depending on the circumstances, an Excise can officer can enter a party at a fraternity house or other living space if they feel such action is warranted and the party ap-
pears to be open to the general public. “If excise sees a violation from off private property, then they can come on the property,” said Angie Nally, director of Public Safety. “They can enter if a fraternity is holding an event that appears to be open to the public. Other than that, they cannot.” The two main issues that Excise officers have been giving tickets for are minor in consumption and minor in possession. Other frequent offenses have included furnishing to a minor and the use of fake identification. In February, three tickets were given in the Greencastle area, and in March, the number of tickets given rose to 33. The Indiana State Excise Police does not have any available information or statistics for the month of April. Tickets are not solely being issued to DePauw students. Ticket totals also include residents of nearby areas. “When I last spoke with Excise a month or so ago, they said that less than half of those ticketed were DePauw students,” Nally said. “Because Greencastle
is such a small area, Excise has expanded their focus. They are also stationing themselves at alcohol stores in areas such as Filmore, Bainbridge and Crawfordsville.” A person may be stopped by Excise due to reasonable suspicion, but probable cause is necessary in order for a ticket to be given or an arrest to be made. “If a reasonable person to believe that a criminal act could be afoot, then we will stop someone,” Thickstun said. “We try to look for people that look like they are not 21 that are attempting to purchase alcohol or are at a bar or a tavern. We are also looking for adults providing for minors.” The amount of the fine issued by ticketing depends on both circumstances of the incident and the judicial programs that the county has in place. According to Thickstun, the majority of tickets given thus far have been in Muncie and in Bloomington, not in Greencastle. The Indiana State Excise Police’s goal for the program is to see a definitive change in the number of underage drinking issues cited both on and around targeted college campuses. If the program is successful in undercutting underage drinking, the Indiana State Excise Police plan to consider extending the program to other college campuses throughout the state. “It’s too early to give a
Excise | cont’d on page 3
VOL. 160, ISSUE 45
ELECTIONS
‘No vote’ wins title of VP for Student Life By THE DEPAUW STAFF news@thedepauw.com
Over 500 students marked “no vote” for vice president of student life in the student government elections last week, despite three candidates being listed for the office. Those candidates collectively received a little over 50 percent of all votes cast for the position. Student Government Parliamentarian and senior Roy Leaf, who oversaw the elections, said he is going to meet with the newly elected student body president Sara Scully in the next week to discuss options for holding a makeup election for the position next fall. He said the election will likely be held within the first few weeks of the start of the school year, much like the makeup elections held last fall for other unfilled student government positions. Leaf said he thought voter turnout this year was a little better than last year but added that he’d always like to see a higher turnout. “It’s not that hard for students to take three minutes and go online to e-Services and vote,” Leaf said. Regardless of the turnout, Leaf said the “no vote” option is still a good one. “If people don’t like the slate of candidates that are up there, they shouldn’t have to vote for them,” Leaf said.
THE FINAL TALLY FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT LIFE No vote (526 votes) John Russell (233 votes) Isaiah Mills (213 votes) Rachel Yingling (166 votes) For more in-depth coverage of election results, visit thedepauw.com