Castleton Spartan

Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: Campus Life

Whether or not alcohol belongs on college campuses is a debatable issue that was raised by Castleton students at each end of the spectrum last semester. Now, these same students are attempting to implement changes that could affect the entire campus.

Michelle Spier, along with a few other students, has played a large role in having the school host events where alcohol is served. Last semester two such events were held in the Alumni Room of Huden Dining Hall. These events had live music and tables set up for students and faculty to interact, have a drink, and relax.

Spier believes that having events like these on campus are important because they get students who are otherwise uninvolved in school functions together and participating.

But Brad Lussier, a non-traditional freshman, believes that instead of promoting alcohol use on campus the college should be discouraging it.

Lussier is trying to persuade Castleton's administration that what they should be doing instead of inviting students to drink in Huden is designating a dry dormitory that is alcohol and drug free. Lussier, knows firsthand about the dangers of drugs and alcohol having fought addiction for 16 years of his life.

Now clean, Lussier wants to help others from falling into the same lifestyle that he once found himself absorbed in.

A Push for Alcohol

Spier first got the idea of hosting events on campus that serve alcohol during Phil Lamy's Community in American Society class last semester when the class was asked to come up with ideas for what they wanted to see change on campus.

"My group decided that we'd like to see school events that served alcohol, with the idea that these events may possibly cater to a different group of students than the ones that attend regular school events," Spier said.

The Alumni Room, which holds approximately 100 people and already had a liquor license, was a perfect location for these events, Spier said. The first event, which was an "open mic night," filled the room to capacity.

Later that semester, another event featuring Twiddle and a jazz performance drew about 50 students, according to Spier.

As the semester came to a close and Lamy's class members went their separate ways, Spier wanted to keep pushing for more on-campus events that served alcohol. For the spring semester she has taken on a senior project, which puts her in charge of continuing to organize "pub nights" on campus.

Continued...

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