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Online exclusive: BSC will not serve alcohol

Hannah Poturalski, For The Miami Student

Once the Bicentennial Student Center (BSC) opens students can enjoy dining options reminiscent of Panera Bread, Buffalo Wild Wings and Irish pubs.

However, older students, faculty and visiting alumni will not have the option of enjoying a beer with those wings.

John Seibert, senior project manager, said tentatively there will be eight food concepts once BSC construction is complete. They include a Panera Bread concept, an Asian/Mongolian grill, pizza and subs, Mexican, a fusion of ethnic foods, a coffee place, an Irish pub and a sports bar that might be called Red Zone.

"We're two years away from starting construction," Seibert said. "As a food type becomes more popular we have the ability to change."

Susan Mosley-Howard, dean of students, said when deciding if alcohol would be an option in the BSC, the answer was pretty logical.

"When the vast majority of students aren't of legal drinking age, why would you do that?" Mosley-Howard said.

Mosley-Howard said she just doesn't know if it's worth selling alcohol when the majority of patrons won't be able to drink. Mosley-Howard said if a wedding or alumni association event was being hosted in the event space they would be able to serve alcohol.

In the new Ohio Union at Ohio State University (OSU) which opened March 29, beer and wine are served at Woody's Tavern and Sloopy's Diner, a 1950s inspired diner.

According to their website, swipe cards cannot be used to purchase alcohol.

Jonathan McNabb, outgoing student body president, said along with OSU, University of Cincinnati (UC) and Xavier University sell alcohol in their student centers. Ohio University and Bowling Green State University do not sell alcohol.

For schools such as UC whose average student is over the age of 21, Mosley-Howard said it makes more sense to have alcohol.

"Personally I think it's a good thing they serve," McNabb said. "I support having alcohol sold in the BSC in a responsible matter."

McNabb said it's the students stuck in the middle that are being lost.

"The average student doesn't drink excessively but enjoys a beer or wine with dinner," McNabb said. "Miami would be best suited if it became the middle ground for students."

Senior Chris Seitz, American studies major, doesn't see the need for selling alcohol in the BSC.

"In a town whose main economic drives are the university and bars I don't think it's necessary to sell alcohol on campus," Seitz said. "We get plenty of that uptown and I don't think it would help our relationship with uptown (businesses) because it takes away their business."

Seitz said selling alcohol in the BSC might slightly increase revenue but would have a negative impact on our public image especially with parents and faculty.

Seitz said with the smoking ban in effect, selling alcohol on campus would be counterproductive.

Senior Jillian Engel thinks the idea of serving alcohol in the BSC is "a waste of time."

"So many people have fake IDs," Engel said. "If the university spends time getting people to stop drinking on campus then why even think of putting alcohol in their hands?"

Seibert said Miami has looked at a number of high-end retail and collegiate venues for inspiration, including OSU, Harvard University, schools in Vermont, New Hampshire and Boston and restaurants on the strip in Las Vegas.

As for alcohol in the BSC, Seibert said that was never a thought.

"The Red Zone and Irish pub are for students to come enjoy activities without alcohol," Seibert said.

Ruth Gerstner, director of communications for student life at OSU, said since the opening of the Ohio Union the restaurants have been very well received by students, faculty and staff.

Gerstner said Woody's was part of the previous student union, built in 1951. She said beer has always been served there.

"It makes it a place where students can drink responsibly," Gerstner said. "We have a focus on Ohio-made beers and wine."

Gerstner said at OSU there's a large number of graduate and professional-level students — around 13,000.

"(The drinking restaurants) are particularly popular with the professional groups," she said. "They have a place for meetings better suited for their age. It brings them into the campus community."

Gerstner said OSU doesn't promote irresponsibility and is very vigilant with IDs and training of wait staff.

"We're scrupulous about following the law," Gerstner said.

Farah Gerber, a senior fashion and retail studies major at OSU, said she's been to the Ohio Union once and sampled a beer at Woody's. She plans on going back.

"I think it's fine (to sell alcohol there) as long as people are over age," Gerber said. "It's pretty chill, people aren't going crazy."

Gerber said she'd rather just go to a bar to drink because of the ability to take drinks outside.

Erin LaMantia, senior health sciences major at OSU, said student-workers benefit from having a bar in the union.

"It's a chance for students to learn how to run such a business," LaMantia said. "Hospitality management students can get that bar and business experience."

McNabb said there's never been a real discussion about potentially serving alcohol in the BSC and he hopes Miami can overcome this obstacle.

"The BSC is supposed to be a community center and bring people together," McNabb said. "Miami has strong subcultures but they don't interact enough, this building allows for that. This will close a door."


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