Student leaders are making it a priority to focus on deterring dangerous drinking — and local officials and police said they support the efforts.
During the summer months, both the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) and the Intrafraternity Council (IFC) have been looking into new policies and initiatives on excessive drinking.
UPUA has created a commission on safety that will enact policies to prevent dangerous drinking, sexual assault and domestic violence, UPUA President Christian Ragland said.
As one of the initiatives, the commission will work with other student groups like the Student Programming Association (SPA) and the Association of Residence Hall Students (ARHS) to create more on-campus events for students to partake in on the weekends.
Ragland (senior-political science) said UPUA is looking to get movie theaters and downtown businesses to give discount tickets or prices for students.
The IFC may adopt some new policies as well.
IFC President Max Wendkos said his vice president for risk management — Tom Piarulli — is looking into policies in place at other universities as well as talking to Penn State risk management professors.
Piarulli (senior-security and risk analysis) said nothing is official at this point. He said the IFC may make policy changes to address community concerns regarding noise and litter, as well as refine last year’s policy changes.
Last year, the IFC altered its social policy to reduce the emphasis on alcohol. The new policy eliminated Wednesday social functions and away bars and required both guests to show photo ID before entering a party and fraternities to register events and guests by the Wednesday before the social event.
Both the university police department and borough officials said they appreciate the student’s efforts.
Penn State Police Deputy Director Tyrone Parham said the police department was supportive of the work that student leaders are doing. Parham said the department does not necessarily have any new initiatives for the upcoming year.
But the police will continue to try to educate students and deter alcohol-related incidents like overdosing — which he said seems to increase each year.
Some efforts include having a law enforcement presence on campus at night and strict enforcement for high-risk drinking incidents, like when a student requires medical attention or is posing a threat to the community.
Representatives from UPUA met with the State College Police Department to discuss collaborating to strengthen the message of safe drinking.
The borough has worked with UPUA, IFC and the Off-Campus Student Union in the past, and Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said it plans to continue those relationships in the fall.
Fountaine said the borough will announce new policies relating to alcohol abuse in about a month. The pilot program of opening public restrooms in borough facilities for 24 hours a day and installing a few portable toilets at downtown locations will continue until the end of the year, he said.
Ragland acknowledged that changing students attitudes towards drinking is a difficult task.
“We have to recognize that a lot of students are coming in with the mindset of “Oh, I’m going to the No. 1 party school,” Ragland said.