By snoadmin
A few weeks ago, the Outpost Grill on lower campus applied for a license to sell alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine. This would make it the second establishment on campus where students will be allowed to drink, along with the Nugget Bar and Grill. The license is expected to go into effect by the beginning of Spring semester.
This is bound to increase revenue to the restaurant, and will hopefully draw more people to the area. Our campus is so large that it should have more than one place for students to hang out and unwind. Nugget regulars will also have an alternative if they want a change of scenery. It will also be an opportunity for engineering and journalism students to grab a beer after class without having to hike all the way up campus.
Unfortunately, this might actually separate the campus even more. People who have classes on upper campus might stop running into friends who have all their classes in the CBA building. The Nugget was a good place for students from all different majors to gravitate toward. With the option to hang out on lower campus all day, that may no longer happen.
However, the Outpost has some work to do if they want to compete with the Nugget; it’s not only the beer that draws students there, it’s the atmosphere. The Nugget has televisions and lounge chairs and pool tables. It’s the pub environment that makes the Nugget work.
If the Outpost simply adds beer to the menu and doesn’t change anything else, it seems as if they’re selling alcohol just so students can get drunk on campus. This should not be what it’s about. Cal State Long Beach is a “dry” campus, and the focus should always be on school while students are there.
There is nothing wrong with having beer at the campus restaurants, but it should be regulated. Having multiple bars at school might distract people from what is really important. The Nugget regulates beer drinking by limiting students to one beer at a time and not selling pitchers, which is how the Outpost is planning to do it as well.
The Outpost will also have their employees go through a L.E.A.D. program, which stands for License Education on Alcohol and Drugs. This is meant to educate them on how to sell alcohol responsibly.
Some people may think that this is a step toward becoming a “wet” campus, but that is not a good idea. Selling beers on campus is one thing, but if students actually start getting drunk and rowdy on campus, it could become a liability. If more places on campus start to sell alcohol it could lead to people partying at school, or getting too drunk.
CSULB’s dry campus policy is being stretched by the addition of another bar on campus, but it seems to be under control and could be an interesting addition to a part of the school that doesn’t get much attention. The 21-year-old engineering students are sure to be excited about this new development. Hopefully, school still remains the primary focus while students are here.
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