A "Solution" to Underage Drinking on Campus

Before first semester, all I heard about was how much fun I’ll have during my freshman year at SMU. Already, only my night here after Mustang Corral, I realized the rumors about SMU might not be true. I stopped by a Fraternity house at 6 PM on the way to the Lil Wayne concert. I had not been upstairs for more than five minutes when someone yelled, “Go into the rooms! The cops are here!”.

I wondered, “Is this what it's going to be like all year? It’s only a Sunday night.”

I've lived here for a little over two months now, and my assumptions are fairly accurate. Not one time have I been at a Fraternity house and the SMU police not made an attempt to bust the party.

SMU faculty wonders why the percentage of students who have received an Alcohol Violation during this semester alone, have surpassed any year in SMU history. This increase is alarming to most, but not all students. Some students claim the only reason they're "getting caught” is because the SMU police is intentionally out to get them in trouble. And I think the majority of students would agree based on the SMU police’s behavior this year.

Every freshman resident hall has had a meeting with a representative from the Center of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention to inform students on the increasing rate of Alcohol Violations, discuss reasons, and possible solutions for the overwhelming percentage. It was beneficial for most students who were able to give their opinions, but for others with AV’s, it was frustrating to hear the same condescending talk again.

Fortunately, SMU Student Senate has found a solution to the problem. They have concluded that SMU police entering Fraternity houses to check on students past reasonable hours is against the Student Code of Conduct. Determining this as a violation of a student’s right to privacy, SMU police are no longer able to enter a Fraternity house without probable cause between the hours of 8PM and 6AM.

It is likely that the number of AV’s will decrease now that police cannot randomly walk into the house just to check things out. However, just because police aren’t able to catch students at Fraternity houses, doesn’t mean they won’t wait outside resident halls for students to return after a night out. Hopefully, Student Senate’s favorable resolution will lower the amount of Alcohol Violations; but it is unlikely that the number of students participating in underage drinking will decrease.

The Onion

The Onion News Network is a sarcastic news organization reporting on local, national, and international news issues, both real and figurative. The Onion News Network is a 24- hour TV news channel that also posts videos and articles, updates to their website, and broadcasts daily over the radio. The Onion is designed to replicate a real news studio with reporters from around the country reporting on “serious” issues affecting the world. The difference between real news networks and the Onion is that the Onion provides viewers with news reflecting the way the public actually thinks. While most news programs are biased and dry, the Onion News Network’s satirical approach portrays a more comical and realistic view on current issues. The Onion’s issues may not be real, but it appeals to the average American. The Onion is successful because of the way it takes what could viewed as a serious news topic and makes it enjoyable to viewers. Although some of the videos can be considered “crude humor”, I think America needs a more relaxed way to view current news. I agree Americans should not turn to the Onion News Network as a valid source of information, but it's fun to watch the Onion’s news crew try to seriously report obviously sarcastic views. I also like how they have videos that are for and against both view points. For example, the video below is making fun of Obama supporters, but they also have videos McCain supporters would find offensive.