Story: Anne Knapke Graphic: Kacy Tachibana
Graduating seniors: Don’t put away your party hats just yet. The traditional 6 a.m. bar crawl before commencement is still an option for students, despite the letter sent by Cal Poly administration and City of San Luis Obispo officials to downtown bars asking them to not serve alcohol until 9 a.m.
Cal Poly Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey and San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Marx wrote the letter, which questions alcohol consumption and safety during graduation weekend. The letter stirred controversy among students, parents and faculty, as several were unaware of the increase in inebriated students during the ceremony Humphrey and Marx described.
The letter said commencement ceremonies have become overshadowed and unsafe because of the conduct of intoxicated students who visit downtown bars prior to the ceremonies.
Marx, who lives near Cal Poly’s campus, said she’s attended many graduation ceremonies and hasn’t seen students vomiting or too drunk to move across the stage. Humphrey brought the issue to her attention, she said.
“Keith Humphrey asked me if I would be willing to be in support of what he wanted to do, which was a request that the downtown bars hold up opening on graduation day until 9 a.m.,” Marx said. “So I signed it.”
Humphrey, who started working at Cal Poly in December 2012, has only participated in one Spring Commencement. He said the letter was the result of campus feedback from academic leaders and faculty who expressed concern about disruptive students who over-consumed before attending the ceremony.
Humphrey said he’s personally witnessed students who were disruptive and disrespectful while waiting to pick up their diploma.
“Others on the commencement policy and commencement operations committees have much longer histories of experiencing disruptive student behavior as a result of drinking,” Humphrey said.
University Police Department Cmdr. Brenda Trobaugh said she didn’t have any evidence of fines or arrests during commencement within the past few years.
“We don’t want to ruin students’ and parents’ graduation day, so if we see a student that is inebriated, we make sure that they are with a sober friend,” she said.
Despite mixed evidence about the number of problems at commencement, Marx said if students and families want to get really drunk before graduation, they can do so with or without the bar’s help.
Colin McCarthy, manager of McCarthy’s Irish Pub, said there are safeguards in place to prevent overconsumption of alcohol at bars.
California Alcoholic Beverage Control laws prohibit bartenders from serving alcohol to a customer who appears to be very intoxicated. Whether its 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., bars aren’t permitted to let students or anyone else to leave their bars completely hammered.
“If you’re bartending responsibly, nobody is going to get that drunk in the first place,” McCarthy said.
Myron Basch is the father of a Cal Poly alumnus who took part in last year’s traditional pre-commencement drinking at a local pub.
“When I first heard about (the tradition), I didn’t think it was a good thing to do and I couldn’t believe it,” Basch said. “But once I was there, I understood why. In a college, it’s very social, this is like a farewell for that. So I was very happy for them being there, and it was a nice time.”
“A lot of kids were screaming and yelling the whole time, but that’s been going on forever, I think, at any graduation,” Bash added. “I think it’s normal just expressing being there, but nothing was disruptive or disrespectful.”