Bridget DonnelyThe National College Athletic Association and Pennsylvnia Athletic Conference require that Cabrini provide an alcohol-free venue during sporting events. Although there have been a few issues in the past, Charlie Schaffner, the director of public safety, said, “It’s not a major problem at this time, it’s very well under control.”
Currently the men’s lacrosse team is on probation for PAC for not hosting an alcohol-free venue during last spring’s championships. The Spring Fling coincided with three championship games that Cabrini hosted last year, causing some students who were not attending the games to come too close to the sport field with their alcoholic beverages. A member of the opposing team complained to the PAC.
A few precautions have been taken so as to prevent this from happening again. Student Activities will not hold Spring Fling during the championships this year and all games have Public Safety officers on duty. In addition to this, athletic director Leslie Danehy said that within the next few years, she would like to see fencing installed around the playing field in order to “properly delineate the field from the rest of the campus.”
Danehy said that so far this year, there have not been many problems but that there is still room for improvement. “We need to change the social culture of our sporting events,” Danehy said.
Danehy is aware that this may deter alumni from attending sporting events. She has drafted a policy on tailgating where alumni can request a back patio area for before a game.
Most students oppose the prohibition of alcohol at sporting events. “I think alcohol should be allowed as long as it’s done in moderation,” Lynsey McStravick, a freshman accounting major, said.
Women’s soccer player Adrienne Baldwin, a sophomore social work major, said that not allowing alcohol in the sports venues affects the spectator turnout. “I think more people would go to our games if they could drink because it would be more fun,” Baldwin said.
