Students say the possibility of Breathalyzer checks by Sing Song organizers won’t affect their act or participation in the weekend performance.
The threat of Breathalyzers and other consequences were put in place to encourage students to respect the space in the Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center they will be using during the show.
Act directors have warned Sing Song participants about bringing alcohol to practices and showings of Sing Song as a preemptive move against possible Breathalyzer tests.
Tom Craig, director of student activities and Sing Song, has been involved in Sing Song for nine years, this being his eighth to direct. He said the idea for the potential Breathalyzer check is from a practice used at Baylor’s similar production, “Sing,” and they’ve been looking into the option to see if it’s really possible for them.
Amy Sloan, junior Ad/PR major from Houston, is one of the upstage co-chairs of Sing Song this year and said she thinks the idea of using a Breathalyzer will encourage students to respect the gyms they are using.
“They think it’s a respect thing,” Sloan said. “That’s why we really thought about doing this is; we have to respect the facilities we’re using and the other people participating.”
Megan Adams, director of the Alpha Kai act, said she hasn’t heard any student complaints about the possibility of Breathalyzer checks.
“I understand why the office of student activities is wanting to do this, I just don’t know how effective it will be,” said Adams, senior art major from Amarillo. “But maybe that is because I haven’t seen anyone with a Breathalyzer yet.”
As part of the men’s acts section, Sub T-16 director Lane Luttrell, sophomore vocational ministry major from Colleyville, said he hasn’t heard a response from club members because it doesn’t affect them or their act.
“As a director, I have heard that there may or may not be a policeman there who may or may not Breathalyze participants but not all,” Luttrell said. “He or she will pick out a couple people that I guess look suspicious, which is bad for our club because our costumes make us look sketchy already.”
The student activities office ultimately affirms all new rules created by co-chairs each year, including the possibility of using Breathalyzers. Aside from the Breathalyzer test, consequences for misconduct include not being able to have club formal off campus.
“The co-chairs develop certain consequences based on what they think will have the most impact with the students,” Craig said.
Nick Tatum, graduate communications student from Lubbock, is directing Sing Song this year and said he wants to preserve the integrity of the space the participants use so it can be a place for students to do homework and rest.
“There have been issues in the past that has made us sit back and revise the rules and guidelines for that,” Tatum said. “So we decided to make it a little more strict to put emphasis on meaning business when it comes to stuff like that.”
Many of the rules and the threat of not having club formal on campus have been put in place in an attempt to control the environment to make sure participants don’t become too rowdy and create a disturbance during the show.
“We try to make it more extreme for that so it was kind of a bigger deal in their heads,” Tatum said.
