I just discovered that open alcohol is now banned on MSU's campus, and would like to share with the MSU Board of Trustees my experience in Rome on that topic.

If I want, I can crack open a Peroni, walk down the street, ride a bus, or do just about anything in reason while drinking my beer, and nobody will even give me a second look. The fact is, alcohol is viewed differently in Rome than in East Lansing.

Although I can legally carry my beer, liquor, absinthe or whatever here, it's not common. People still get drunk here just like in East Lansing. But, at least partly because it's not blown way out of proportion like what is being done by the board and the city, it's much more uncommon for people to get so drunk they can't walk or need medical attention. If students may not carry open alcohol on campus, I believe the board's actions will only cause students to drink more before they go to or from a party, making it less safe for them to be walking.

Further, someone needs to pay for the police to look out for students walking with open alcohol, and I think I speak for at least a small majority of students when I say I do not want my tuition dollars supporting another reason for campus police to harass me when I walk at night.

It is very clear to me that the Board of Trustees was shortsighted when debating this issue. It chose a "solution" that fails to address the real problem of drunken students, and will result in an even greater danger to students and motorists alike.

Joseph Saari
general management junior studying in Rome