Only one student turned out Thursday night for a town meeting on alcohol policy issues.
The meeting, which was scheduled to take place in Page Auditorium, was intended for students to voice their opinions and concerns about a proposed alcohol policy that would require bartenders to distribute beer at campus parties and for other alcoholic beverages to be served from a cash bar. About 12 members of the committees that were formed in the beginning of the year to address alcohol policy issues were on hand in Page, but found themselves with little new input to discuss.
Trinity sophomore Matt Gidney, the sole student in attendance, said he came to the town meeting because "[the proposed policy] was a very vague issue around my dorm, and I was curious as to how it was going to affect the campus atmosphere."
Some of the committee members attributed the attendance record to poor advertising, but Janet Dickerson, vice president for student affairs, said, "I'm not sure that was the real problem; I think it could be an excuse."
Committee members said they hope to have a policy selected and approved by Dickerson by the end of the semester for implementation starting this fall. Dickerson said the committees will probably meet once more before the semester ends, but that there will not be another forum such as Thursday's town meeting for students to offer input.
An e-mail account, alcohol@acpub.duke.edu, has been established for students to send comments to the committee over the Internet, but only about three messages have been posted to that account so far, Dickerson said.
Trinity junior Lex Wolf, president of the Interfraternity Council and a member of the alcohol policy committee, said he thinks students may be apathetic because the IFC has already chosen its own alcohol policy for next year.
"In regards to the fraternity community, this debate began in January and wrapped up a week and a half ago," Wolf said.
Others said that greek males are not the only students who feel the issue has been beaten into the ground.
"I think folks are tired of the arguing, and I wonder if people thought tonight there'd be more polarizing around the issue," said Ellen Plummer, director of the Women's Center.
But Gidney added that the issue will be brought to the forefront once again when the fall semester rolls around.
"[The policy is] not a problem now because it hasn't happened yet. People will deal with it when it bothers them."
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