By Tristin Burris (Whetstone staff writer)
If police and Wesley College officials thought closing the Loockerman Exchange (LEX) a year ago was going to change the drinking habits of students, they were wrong.
Wesley College’s crime logs from the time Loockerman was closed until now show only a slight decrease in alcohol violations, from an average of 11 to 10.5. Most of these violations are for underage drinking.
Smithers        Melissa Boyd/Whetstone
Senior Lindsay DiMuzio, a waitress and bartender at W.T. Smithers, said students merely adapted.
“There definitely has been a growth in the number of people that come into Smithers,†she said. “I think now that Loockerman is no longer an option, kids come more often throughout the week than they did in the past.â€
Crime logs show that alcohol violations are some of the most common problems on campus, and underage drinking is the main violation. Other drinking violations include breaking policies, such as hosting underage drinkers, having an open container and having alcohol in a dry dorm. More scenarios are described in the student handbook, pp.28-29.
Senior Aaron Givens said “Wesley Wednesday†at Loockerman was popular.
“If you were 18, you could go,†he said. “You just had to pay the cover charge.â€
Senior Joe Lightcap, an ex-bouncer at Loockerman and a current bouncer at Bubba’s, knows that closing the LEX did not affect the number of alcohol violations around campus.
“Loockerman was a big spot because students would drink underage on campus then go to the bar and dance,†he said. “As a bouncer, there’s no way for us to tell if it’s a fake ID because (the bars) don’t have scanner bars.â€
The LEX’s closing did not solve the problem on campus, it created a split.
“Seems like there’s just less of a flock to one place,†Givens said.
Business picked up at Bubba’s for a while once Loockerman shut down, but Smithers, a bar on the same block as Loockerman, has been able to maintain the college student surge.
“Smithers does a good job of keeping prices low and effective for Wesley students,†DiMuzio said.
Some students can’t afford to go to local bars.
“More students stay on campus now and just do the house parties,†Lightcap said.
Students with concerns about alcohol use may contact Melissa Elliott, the college’s new alcohol education coordinator.
“I am also available to students who are facing concerns with substance abuse and would like to talk to someone,†she said.
Elliott’s office is in the Wellness Center in Carpenter Hall.
Students caught underage drinking are referred to Kevin Hansbury, director of residence life and coordinator of the student conduct process.
“I have not seen any noticeable difference in our conduct numbers or statistics since the LEX closed,†he said.
