Scan In, Party On
 

From the April 12 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education:

Scan In, Party On
Bouncers at one Wake Forest University fraternity don't have to squint at student ID cards outside parties anymore - they just scan the cards with a wireless handheld computer.
The handhelds, which have been tested since last fall by Sigma Nu, are much like those used by package-delivery companies. Once an ID card is scanned, the student's age is automatically drawn from the University registrar's database and displayed. Those older than 21 receive bracelets indicating they may drink.
The idea was proposed to university officials by students who were fed up with how long it was taking to get into parties.
At Wake Forest, fraternities are housed in university-owned dormitories, and organizations are required to record every student who attends a party where alcohol is served.
Campus officials chose the handheld computers, instead of laptops or desktops, because the are "waterproof and dropproof," says Jay L. Dominick, assistant vice president for information systems. The university bought the devices, which usually cost about $1,000 each, through a partnership with Symbol Technologies.
The new system has crashed a few times, but for the most part, it's getting students into parties more quickly. As Chris Gottfried, a Sigma Nu member says, the lines have been cut by "a drastic amount."



- What a cool idea! Talk about streamlining your risk management policy! Any comments?

TWO thumbs up!
 

That's a great idea... I'm going to pass it along to my brother's chapter, as well as the one that I help advise. :D

Thanks for sharing the article with us! :)

They actually had that at the Kappa Sig party I was at on Friday. I don't think that it made the process any faster though. The cops still stood behind the table scrutinizing every ID. We also had to sign on our names onto the party roster and the cops made sure your signature on the roster matched the one on your ID. They also asked a million one questions about your ID. The most unintelligent one directed at me was, "It says here on your ID that you're from Ft.Lauderdale. Why are you in Orlando?" Uh....cause I go to school here....

I feel sorry for all those underagers.lol Doubt I will see that scaner in my town anytime soon.

Wow, what a cool idea! We had something similar to that for after-hours entrance to my dorm, but it wasn't quite that sophisticated.

wow those are great ideas..allthough here we dont check ids to get into parties since we are a dry campus*lol theres always drinks at the parties tho anyways* but that is a great idea for parties.


Nichole

I am from Wisconsin.....I like beer........probably more than most..........but, doesn't this seem to be promoting partying in fraternity houses? I am not one to back/support the 'dry' movement, but I think that promoting alcohol (and mass parties) in fraternity houses is just plain bad.

PS, this would be a great idea for the popular bars and clubs, but does not belong at fraternity houses.

I understand your point, however I think it's important to realize that parties are going to occur at fraternity houses, whether people want them to or not. By using this system of identification, the campus and fraternity will at least have a better way to deter underage people from drinking on fraternity property -- which makes it a great option from a risk management perspective. I don't really think of it as "promoting" alcohol consumption at fraternities, but more of a means of regulating it during social activities.

The truth is that people are going to drink if they want to, no matter how old they are. But, by using this new system, at least the fraternities are able to show that they are trying to prevent underage consumption on their property and it may help to keep at least a few more minors away from the kegs during parties.

What if you want to go to the party and you are not a student? You could be 21, but visiting from another school. If those people can use a license, than I could use a fake ID too just by claiming I am not a student.

That happened to a guy I know. This guy, who was legal, visited his brother at a different school. They had a list of all the 21+ students at a party. Since he wasn't a student there and they didn't see his name on the list, they wouldn't let him in the party. When he tried to explain the situation to them, they confiscated his real license. :rolleyes: They returned it in a few weeks.

They use that thing at Bars in Texas on Drivers Liscenses. Our School database isnt advanced enough to link to our ID's. Hell I cant even get my damn copy card to work half the time. :mad:

I read an article related to this a couple of weeks ago. Apparently some bars have these scanning devices... the bouncer swipes your driver's license, and if you're 21+ you're allowed in. At the same time, though, the machine records and stores everything on your license, name, age, sex, hair color, SSN, etc. Some convenience stores also use it to card for cigarettes.

It raises serious privacy concerns... if I go to a bar, the only thing the bouncer or bartender should be concerned with is that I'm 21+ - end of story. Just how much info is on these campus ID cards??

Cool idea, but it sounds like there's still kinks in the system.

Wow, that would be a cool idea except that seeing as how we're a dry campus none of the fraternities party . . . well, at least not so as it's visible from the road. The idea is to keep everyone inside, black out the windows, and keep the music from being so loud that the neighbors complain. The only thing they check at the door to most of them is if you're handing them the money to get in. Some of them mark your hand if you're 21 but that's it. Becuase of a strong LCB presence here a lot of the have gone to list, but because the univeristy doesn't regulate it at all there's no control on underage drinking on off campus sites. Incidentally I also go to school in a state where you have to go to a separate store to buy ANY kind of alcohol. You can't buy beer or wine coolers in grocery stores here, you have to go to a 6-pack shop and they have a carry out limit too. I do get swiped though every time I go the the liquor store. Being as this is a small town they're really careful there. They won't even let you in if you're under 21.

Emily

OOPS
 

Oops, forgot to add this to my post. It seems that there's a discrepancy between the government here trying to crack down on underage drinking and how much the fraternities, and students in general can get away with here primarily becuase this is a dry campus and fraternities 'can't' have parties so there's no regulation on it at all. Just think, if the school recognised parties, rather than trying to bust them they could regulate who is drinking and perhaps be a lot more effective.

Emily