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By Tom Collins
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 15, 1996
University of Arizona Homecoming begins its second year under a unified alcohol rule designed to maintain a healthy atmosphere at Homecoming.Two years ago there were 29 alcohol policies on campus, said Sharon Kha, assistant to the UA president. No one knew exactly which applied to whom, she said.
"It was a climate of confusion."
Homecoming now operates under the same rules as the rest of campus, she said.
Beer and wine can be served by a bartender in tents on the Mall, said Jennifer Harris, Homecoming and reunion coordinator for the Alumni Association. Also, Harris said, alternatives to alcohol must be provided.
"It (the rule) creates a more responsible atmosphere," she said.
The rule freed groups providing alcohol from their responsibility for its use, Harris said, and made revelers more responsible drinkers.
Establishing one rule, Kha said, re-enforced the idea that Homecoming is a family afternoon and smoothed a rough spot in the festivities. She said Homecoming is attended by more people than any other campus event.
Harris said this year there will be about 76 groups on campus, and about 20 of them will serve alcohol.
Kha said that the decision to create a policy was made after Homecoming three years ago.
"It was a bad Homecoming, there were a bunch of alcohol related arrests," Kha said.
"It appeared that in 1994 alcohol was unregulated," said University of Arizona Police Department Deputy Chief Harry Hueston. In 1994, UAPD issued 47 verbal warnings for alcohol. In 1995, the first year the rule was in effect, there were none. In fact, the overall, number of crimes on Homecoming weekend declined, according to UAPD statistics, Hueston said.
But Hueston said he could not entirely attribute the decline to the new rule.
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