A new computer I.D. verification system will allow bartenders to check patrons� age via their DukeCards, in an effort to cut down on underage drinking.
While the Washington Duke Inn announced this summer that there would be “no changes” to its alcohol on points program, students looking for cocktails on a night out may now consider changing their social calendars. A new computer validation system identifying underage would-be-drinkers, might make those with fake I.D.’s think twice about the WaDuke.
The Bull Durham Lounge and Fairview Restaurant, the four-star dining facilities of the University’s on-campus hotel and golf club, have begun enforcing identification checks via the DukeCard, largely in response to groups of undergraduates who officials have said turned the lobby of the Washington Duke into too much of a college bar.
“Fake I.D.’s are so prevalent here,” said Bobby Gorham, restaurant service manager at the Fairview. “It’s not a matter of the money thing. It’s a matter of being secure and following the law.”
The new system still requires students to present government identification along with their DukeCards, but bartenders and waiters will now utilize an option on their Duke points computers that flashes “Valid” or “Invalid” within seconds if a customer is 21 years old or not.
Dan Post-Kennedy, the director of the Fairview, said he had a “good amount” of Duke students come to the bar even in the week before classes started Monday, and that his staff had been giving them a heads-up on the new system when they arrived.
But, he added, “We’ve had a couple of students that have handed us I.D.’s and then when we ask for the DukeCard, they say, ‘Oh, never mind. I’ll take it back.’ So you can guess from that what you will.”
If a student’s card receives an “Invalid” on the of-age test, the restaurant staff will pass along his or her name to hotel management. And though Washington Duke officials said they coordinated with University administrators from Dining Services and the Registrar’s office, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said he had not heard of the restaurant’s validation program.
“The WDI is managed by a private company, and it’s likely that they came up with this on their own,” Moneta wrote in an e-mail. “It’s not ‘inspired,’ not influenced by the Duke administration.”
Although the Washington Duke’s program is not an official Duke measure, the University has recently expanded its reach of programs to educate students about alcohol consumption and abuse—incoming freshmen were required to complete the online course AlcoholEdu before registering for classes, and Duke is involved in a new community interaction program called BlueSPARC.
Gary Harrison, manager of the Armadillo Grill, said he had yet to even hear of the technology used at the Washington Duke. The restaurant’s ‘Dillo Bar has asked for two forms of government identification since last fall after undercover alcohol enforcement officers raided the bar in March 2003. Even with this double-check, the bar has actually added mixed drinks to its menu for this year.
For many the idea of splurging on drinks with extra food points was the main draw of the Bull Durham Lounge and Fairview Restaurant. Several students said that now they would rule out dining at Washington Duke, which underwent renovations while it mulled whether or not to keep alcohol on points, as a going-out option altogether.
“The WaDuke is an integral part of the Duke social scene,” junior Kim Hayez said. “And I understand the need to regulate it from their perspective. But it’s so great to go out to a nice dinner with your parents or your friends or on a date or whatever, and the fact that that option’s been taken away just sucks.”
Kelly Rohrs contributed to this story.
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