In less than a month, drinking from a flask of whiskey or a can of beer while hiking campus sidewalks could be outlawed at MSU.

On Feb. 11, the MSU Board of Trustees plans to vote on a proposal that would ban open alcohol on campus. A draft of the restriction was introduced at its meeting on Friday.

The ordinance would eliminate open alcohol use in outdoor areas on campus, such as outside residence halls or along the sidewalk. Exceptions would include designated tailgating areas on football game days.

Still, students and student government leaders say banning open alcohol will not solve problems related to drinking and could restrict tailgating festivities.

"Maybe it'll be good, but I don't think it will work," packaging junior Sheena Moran said, adding that the ordinances will limit the number of students drinking in front of families and children, but ultimately the proposal won't stop it altogether.

"If people are going to drink, they are going to drink," she said.

Questions surrounding alcohol use on campus, particularly during football Saturdays, were brought up in the fall, after increased arrests and an alleged rape near the Wilson tennis courts while students tailgated.

Tailgating guidelines, which banned drinking games and limited tailgating hours, were put into effect in October.

Board members said Friday's proposals were another way to enhance safety on campus.

ASMSU Student Assembly Chairperson Andrew Schepers said he does not support the new ordinance. Schepers said when tailgating guidelines were released in the fall, the question of whether to ban open alcohol on campus was not included.

"If they wanted to do this before, why are they waiting until now?" Schepers said. "I don't think the atmosphere of the student body has changed."

Schepers said ASMSU will meet this week to determine its official response to the proposals.

MSU Trustee David Porteous said no action will be taken on Friday's proposal until further discussion takes place.

"This ordinance does not ban alcohol at tailgating parties. It does not ban alcohol at the university," Porteous said, adding that it will serve as a control mechanism. "It's appropriate. We just need to see how it will be implemented and its impact."

As it stands now, it's unlawful to walk in East Lansing while drinking from an open container, but it's legal to do so on campus.

If the measure is passed, "you couldn't just walk down the street and consume out of a bottle," MSU police Chief Jim Dunlap said, adding that cities and other universities nationwide prohibit open alcohol in public.

"That's consistent with virtually all jurisdictions," Dunlap said.

Transporting alcohol between tailgating areas would still be legal but could only be done without being consumed, Dunlap said.

The measure would not change policies regarding alcohol inside public buildings on campus, he said. Alcohol would still be allowed inside rooms and suites of students who are 21 years old, but not in public areas.

Because a violation of the ordinance would be a misdemeanor, repercussions could include a maximum fine of $100 and a possible 90 days in jail, Dunlap said. But he said for first-time offenders, the sentence would most likely be less than that.

At the meeting, MSU President Lou Anna Simon said the proposals were introduced before they were passed to encourage discussion.

Finance junior David Houle said it should be legal for students to drink anywhere on campus during football games.

"It's kind of unfair," Houle said. "It's too difficult for law enforcement. There are too many people to control."

Staff writer Jacqueline WayneGuite contributed to this report.