• Campus , Intro , Student
  • 27/08/2024

Plethora of wristbands makes it difficult to enforce alcohol policy

During the introduction days at TU/e last week and those at Fontys this week, it has happened that alcohol was served to minors at Hubble. The barkeepers had trouble telling the different wristbands apart in the crowds.

by
photo Maud Staassen

At the TU/e Intro, other wristbands were used than at Fontys’s introduction week Purple. Not a problem in itself, but tricky for barkeepers that have to decide if a face in the jostling crowd belongs to an underaged or adult student. The manager of Hubble Community Café received prior information about the wristbands TU/e would be using. Nine different colors, from pink for organizers and green for campsite guests to  white for master’s students who would only be there on Monday. The wristbands for alcohol consumption were blue (18-) and yellow (18+).

Photo | Norbine Schalij

The ages of Fontys students are indicated by black and white wristbands. Black is underaged (no beer), white is adult (beer if desired). The Hubble manager had to hear this from some intro mentors; she hadn’t been officially informed herself.

She regrets the fact that alcohol was served to minors, but she believes this is due to the confusing wristbands. “Sometimes you see a whole bunch of them on one arm, sometimes you don’t see any white or black wristbands whatsoever. This makes it very difficult to enforce anything and very easy to slip up, although it still shouldn’t have happened.”

The manager knows that underaged TU/e students also drank beer last week. “We agreed we’d cut the wristbands in case they were abused. I haven’t done so myself, but I know it did happen a few times.”

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