Unintended consequences. Almost everyday a student here at UW-Madison experiences this occurrence. Perhaps you decide to walk down a different street on your way to class and you run into an old friend, or maybe you choose to guess on the last question of your midterm, ending up with an A.
I have started to wonder if the ALRC has realized the unintended consequences that will occur if its Comprehensive Alcohol Issues Report is passed. They will affect a much higher number of students than changing the way one walks to class. Can the ALRC provide clear evidence that by banning drink specials there will be no increase of students drinking at cheap unregulated house parties? Does the ALRC know how an increase of unregulated house parties could affect the student population? When the ALRC says parties will be \monitored,"" can they provide evidence that ""monitoring"" won't lead to students drinking in dark, wet, cramped basements? Will students be even more reluctant to pick up the phone when a serious situation occurs at a party for fear of getting thousands of dollars in fines?
Furthermore, does the ALRC understand that no one is standing at the keg as a student fills up his or her fourth beer at a house party, but that the bartender at The Plaza has the right to refuse a person a drink? The vote is soon approaching and unless the ALRC can provide answers to these questions, the process of passing this report by May 7 will be too hurried. The ALRC needs to research their proposal to see if there will be unintended consequences to the report they so eagerly want passed. Every unintended consequence that one experiences comes from a decision that one chooses to make. Hopefully the ALRC will make a conscious decision to do additional research to find out what the outcomes will be on the student population if their Comprehensive Alcohol Issues Report is passed.
