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March 12, 2006

Res halls and alcohol: this week's buzz

Spring Break is in session for many college goers during this time of year, but things are still happening around the local U's. Here's what's going on right now.

BUZZ KILLER: Alcohol policies will be much more heavily enforced during this year's May Weekend event at Quinnipiac, the Chronicle reported this week (link). Open container policies will be enforced, and a beer tent will not be provided this year. The decision was made over the school's concern of "blatant use and abuse of alcohol," a statement sent to The Chronicle from the University noted.

LITERAL BUZZ: How much do you drink when you go out? That was a question raised at one Quinnipiac lecture held recently (link). Some students pride themselves on being able to control their drinking by knowing how many they've had, but when you switch to solo cups, counting beers can get more tricky as you don't exactly know how much you've had. Using a technique called "buzzing" you can control what you drink, when you drink it and from whom you accept a drink, creating a safer environment for yourself and others. It's an interesting idea for those who have had nights regretting the amount they consumed and having gone too far.

RESIDENT LIFE: Have you ever had a bad experience in a certain res life building and made a conscious decision to get out of there to have a better living situation the next year? Some Jogues residents are concerned they may not have that chance, The Mirror reports (link). Next year Jogues will become a sophomore dorm, and a petition signed my a large majority of the current Jogues residents requsted the U give them the ability to live elsewhere next year instead of the risk of having to live there again. However, university officials have stated that the logistics of running a housing lottery that goes smoothly takes priority. Jogues in the past has had a bad rep for being one of the more rowdy buildings on campus, with large damage bills racked up each year an unpleasant side effect. Zoning it as a freshmen dorm was one effort to take the edge off of that issue.

What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail Josh at thebuzz@ctpost.com.

Posted by Josh on 9:16 PM | Comments (77)

March 5, 2006

Take a drive through the latest Buzz!

There's a lot of Buzz driving this week's entry, and they all seem to have a drive theme to it. I'm a sucker for theme entries, so let's take it for a spin!

ALLEY PROTECTED: Following a recent assault on a student reported on in both the Chronicle and here in the Buzz recently, Quinnipiac security is more heavily enforcing the policies of vehicles driving on the only main road around campus, limiting access and restricting the amount of time students can park (link). Previously, enforcement had been spotty, leaving opportunities for non-students, such as the one who assaulted a student in early February, to get easier access to the campus. The head of security at Quinnipiac has announced a more strict enforcement policy.

O'TOOLE DRIVEN OUT: Citing a lack of MAAC championships, Fairfield basketball coach Tim O'Toole's contract was not renewed by the Fairfield athletic department, The Mirror reported this week (link). Although O'Toole took a program that was one of Fairfield's weakest and developed a winning record overall with the teams he recruited, this year's weak performance and an overall lack of championships resulted in a search for his replacement. O'Toole was given the chance to announce the decision himself, at his request.

COFFEE CONUNDRUM: Coffee drives many students' energy levels during the early morning classes, and now Southern's higher-ups are giving students a chance to voice their opinions on which coffee to carry in the new student center, the Southern News reported (link). Franchises and more homegrown operations are both in consideration, so whether students are fans of Green Mountain, Dunkin' Douuts or even the on-every-street-corner Starbucks option, they can voice their opinions through an online survey. The bean counters will surely have a field day with this one.

FRAT FUNDRAISER: Driving up the dollars raised was the goal of Tau Kappa Epsilon members, who jumped into the slightly nippy waters today for their third annual plunge (link). Funds raised from the event are being used to support the Nancy and Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Fund.

BLOOD BOILING: Finally, it's a blood drive getting one Yale official a little upset. In a challenge against Harvard, Yale lost a challenge to get students out to donate blood. Forced to wear a red hat, this thebuzz@ctpost.com