No kegs? No problem.

Tailgaters said both games were under control; police report no change from last year.

By Jaryd Wilson

Published Sept. 12, 2006

Two weeks into a ban on kegs during football game tailgate parties, police reported that few people have been arrested for violating the new policy.

"It was no different than last year," said MU police Capt. Brian Weimer. "There were a few arrests for minor in possession, but there were no major problems."

Saturday's game and the season opener on Sept. 2 were the first two games with the new "no keg" rule in effect.

But large amounts of alcohol have been prohibited for many seasons before.

"It is not a number of bottles or cans that we look for, but if we see any disturbances, fights, complaints, or any other situations we are called to or come across, then we use it as a tool," Weimer said. "If alcohol is a primary reason for the disturbance, we dispose of it and act accordingly."

Freshman Amber Everson, who tailgated before both football games, said that she doesn't think the new rule will affect the way students behave before games.

"They can do what they want, but I think students are still going to want to do their own thing," Everson said.

Everson said that she thought both games were under control and that she didn't see any abnormal behavior.

"There were a lot of police out on bikes, in cars, and on foot around the stadium," Everson said. "I thought everyone seemed pretty well behaved."

Student Wellness Resource Center Director Kim Dude said the center's message is about moderation and that it supports the change.

"We understand that drinking is going to occur, but we don't want students over-consuming," Dude said. "We emphasize moderation, and if there are cases or kegs of alcohol present, then that is probably going to lead to over-consuming."

The Wellness Center encourages responsible drinking habits and gives more than 200 presentations a year across campus.

"Although we usually don't deal with tailgating students directly, we would emphasize the same message of drinking in moderation to them," Dude said. "However, we still want students to abide by the law over anything else, which means we don't want anyone under the age of 21 to be drinking."

Weimer said that though some students might feel the "no keg" rule is directed at them, that is not the case.

"The rules are in effect for everybody," Weimer said. "If you are not of age, you cannot be in possession of alcohol, and if you are of age, enjoy yourself and be responsible."

The next home game will be Sept. 23 against Ohio University.