College: for newcomers it�s a no-chores, no-parents and no-school-bells Willy Wonka paradise, where class attendance is optional and booze flows freely. To many freshmen, �no cops� also seems to be on their long list of new found freedoms, as evident by the�over seventy Minor in�Possession�(MIP) charges the CU Police Department has reported in past two weekends alone. Ask any one of those seventy new MIP-owners, and they will most likely tell you that it is nothing to laugh at. Get one, and you�ll be sitting in a mandatory alcohol education class with a hefty fine, all the while telling your parents you spent that fine money on “textbooks.”
To the Class of 2016, here�s some advice from the people who really know how to avoid those pesky little tickets: your friendly neighborhood upperclassmen.
TRASH YOUR RED CUP
Boulder has strict open container laws, and if an officer suspects you�re drinking underage, a red cup is a red flag.
�Always be ready to throw or set down your cup,” James Baker, a 26-year-old chemical engineering major said. “Never have an open container. As long as you�re inside the house, the cops won�t bug you too much.�
While most girls have heard the old adage, it may be new to some male freshmen: never set your cup down and pick it back up later. There are cases of people getting drugged at parties after they drink from a cup they might have abandoned earlier – so just get a new cup.
USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM WISELY
Though the use of the buddy system was probably drilled into everyone�s heads at orientation, some upperclassmen hold some grudges against the device. Sophomore business major John Hablak called the buddy system �a risky topic.�
�I�ve seen just as many people get their friends out of MIPs as people that have gotten their friends MIPs,� Hablack said. �The only real tip I can give is that walking one-on-one with the opposite sex seems to make officers look the other way.�
Basically, use the buddy system wisely: buddy up in small groups of smart people. Don�t try to babysit an entire group of people way over their limits – if spotted by the police, they may dole out group MIPs, no questions asked.
KEEP COPS AT ARM�S LENGTH
If the cops do show up at the party (and it will happen eventually), stay calm.
�If the cops show up, don�t freak out and book it out the back door,” Meghan Damour, 20-year-old linguistics and Spanish major, said.�”Either calmly set down your drink and exit if they ask you to, or make your way quietly, but not sneakily, out another exit. Just be chill about it.�
Not all students agree on how to deal with the police in direct questioning, however. While some students believe it�s best to deny, deny, deny, other students suggest sticking with the truth.
�Don�t make the job for the officer too easy, but don�t lie either,” Baker said. “Bide your time and be polite. Know your rights and act accordingly.�
�Be calm, respectful, and cooperative,” Damour said. “Don�t act like you�re doing anything wrong and don�t run.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sarah Elsea at Sarah.elsea@colorado.edu.