Breathalyzer can prove innocence

By Amanda Klingberg
Cardinal Staff

This year at Saint Mary’s University if a student under the age of 21 is found in or around a location where alcohol is present, they have the right, within an hour of the filed disciplinary report, to go to Campus Safety and request a breathalyzer test. If the results are negative, that particular student is able to avoid the disciplinary sanctions that would typically go along with underage drinking at SMU.
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The university makes it clear that alcohol is only permitted to those students who are over the legal drinking age of 21, and only within the privacy of Villages or in confined rooms in certain residence halls. In residence halls such as Hillside, Skemp, Vlazny, Saint Edward’s and Saint Benilde’s, there is azero-tolerance alcohol policy.

Part of SMU’s alcohol policy also includes the fact that the resident of any room is held responsible for guests and for the decisions those guests make, including the possession of alcohol. In many cases, all of the alcohol will be confiscated.

If a student under the age of 21 is found in a location where alcohol is present and chooses not to take the breathalyzer test, or the results of the test are positive, disciplinary action will take place. The first offense includes, but is not limited to, a meeting with the appropriate staff and judiciary members, notification of parents, an informative alcohol class, fines, and community service. Dependent upon the seriousness of the violation, a major offense could result in expulsion from the campus or the involvement of law enforcement.

“It’s nice that students are not assumed to be breaking policy. SMU is using its resources well,” said Lucas Kaplan, an SMU sophomore.

Prior to the new policy, students under the age of 21 found in an area where alcohol consumption was taking place may have been sentenced to these disciplinary actions regardless of whether or not they were drinking.

“I think [the new policy is] fair,” said freshman Brittany Kubik. With the new policy, students like Kubik can be with of-age students while those students are consuming alcohol, without worrying about being accused of drinking in the process.

Kayci Landeen, another freshman under the age of 21, agrees and claims that she could see herself in a similar situation in the future.

Some students feel a downside to this policy is that students under 21 may be less careful and cautious about the situations they place themselves in because they are not as worried about getting caught and facing consequences.