With its own power source, police force, cafeterias, convenience stores and places to live and workout, MSU's campus is like a small city. It even has its own government system and a set of laws that sometimes vary from those of surrounding cities.

The fact that MSU has no law stopping the use of alcohol in outdoor areas around campus is a prime example. Although this is not an obvious problem in this "little city," its currently legal status doesn't make a lot of sense.

In Friday's MSU Board of Trustees meeting, an ordinance was proposed that would eliminate alcohol use in outdoor public areas on campus. We can't help but think this ordinance would be positive. Right now, anyone older than 21 can technically sit on the steps of Berkey Hall and drink a beer or split a fifth of liquor with some friends.

Only a few feet away on Grand River Avenue, these people would be ticketed and fined for doing the exact same thing. We don't see why the law is different here. We might be our own city, but that doesn't mean this law should be different than almost everywhere else in this country. This is especially true given that MSU probably has a higher concentration of people who drink than most normal cities.

Sure, people on campus rarely walk to class drinking a beer or sit on a bench and have a cocktail, but the fact that people legally can doesn't make much sense. This is an academic institution. We come here to go to school and work. Of course, fun should be incorporated, but not allowing open alcohol outdoors on campus would not ruin anyone's fun.

It's said the ordinance will have no impact on tailgating or drinking in the dorms. Our support of this measure is contingent on these facts. Since the only time when open alcohol is even noticeable on campus is during tailgates, this measure doesn't seem to change much. Also, those older than 21 will still be allowed to drink in their dorm rooms, just as they are now.

Rampant drinking on the rolling expanses of MSU's campus might not be a current problem, but we need assurance that it doesn't become one. Instead of waiting for this to become an issue, it should be taken care of to show that we are not going to let it hurt our "little city."