Editor’s Note: The first in a three-part series examining the role of alcohol in the lives of students

The recent ban on alcohol at sporting events on California State University campuses dries up the bleachers, but the ban won’t stop students from enjoying a pint of Fat Tire on campus.

Currently, it is up to the individual campuses to decide whether to sell alcoholic beverages at campus restaurants, said Clara Potes-Fellow, spokeswoman for CSU.

And Sacramento State has chosen to stay wet. The commuter campus does not have any plans to ban alcohol on campus, said Frank Whitlatch, associate vice president for Public Affairs.

Sac State students can buy alcohol at two spots ?” Round Table Pizza in the University Union and the University Center Restaurant directly across from it.

Stephanie Ewing, registered dietician for Dining Services, said the sale of alcohol in a controlled environment does not present a problem.

She said the Sac State alcohol policy is extremely strict and when Round Table stopped selling pitchers of beer in fall 2004, it was to help keep alcohol out of the hands of underage students. The pitcher ban followed a sting operation by Sacramento’s Alcoholic Beverage Bureau that caught a Round Table employer serving alcohol to a patron under 21.

Chico State is one of the campuses that does not allow the sale of alcohol on campus, said Kathleen McPartland, an editor and publication assistant for Chico State Public Affairs.

Ewing said as far as she knows, alcohol has always been served at Sac State. The sales are regulated by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and require liquor licenses just like any other restaurant that serves alcohol has to be.

The fact that Sac State will continue to allow the sale of alcohol on campus is good news for students who enjoy washing down their pizza with a beer.

And Round Table was full of students enjoying beers on the Thursday night before Spring Break.

Some sat quietly studying with a glass of beer next to their textbooks. Others sat in small groups watching the TVs, or just talking. About half the students were drinking beer.

“It’s the only place you can come in and have a pint with a friend,” said Todd Macumber, a senior studying graphic design. “No one’s coming here to get loaded.”

Macumber had just finished a midterm and was celebrating with a beer with his friend, Mark Gibson, a senior studying business real estate. He said he’s come to Round Table many times to study.

Both Macumber and Gibson said a total ban on alcohol at Sac State would be a bad thing. “People will just leave and drink,” Gibson said. He gestured around the room, “This place is busy. If it’s dry, they will leave.”

Both men agreed that Round Table is one of the few places where students of a commuter campus can enjoy the feel of a college community. They said there aren’t any problems they have seen with the alcohol sales because it is limited to appropriate aged drinkers.

“These functions historically do not pose a big problem for us,” said Sgt. Kelly Clark of the University Police Department in an e-mail regarding alcohol sales on campus.

The only exception to that is at sporting events, where alcohol is now banned.

One of two alcohol regulations relevant to students is that a person under 21 driving with any amount of alcohol is illegal and police officers can immediately confiscate the driver’s license, Clark said. DMV then suspends the license for one year. The second regulation is that anyone convicted of being a minor in possession will lose his or her license for a year as well.

The fact that alcohol is no longer served at the Riverfront Center is not a result of any problems or restrictions. Ewing explained that some restaurants are run by University Enterprises Inc. and others are subcontracted out and only overseen by University Enterprises.

The Pub, which sold alcohol, was run by University Enterprises, but is now contracted out and became Hula Dog. Hula Dog does not have the required liquor license that the Pub had. Also, this being its first year of operation, the focus is currently on the food, and there are no plans to apply for one.

“Serving alcohol on a college campus is a bit different from elsewhere,” Ewing said.

University Enterprises does not advertise alcohol sales at either Round Table or the University Center Restaurant, the only two places on campus where alcohol is sold.

Ewing also said it would be impossible for either restaurant to stop serving alcohol without discussing the decision with University Enterprises.

Brandon Darnell can be reached at [email protected]