Students walking by the Old Main Lawn Saturday saw something they don't normally see - alcohol consumption in plain view on campus.
A low white fence surrounded the lawn, and two campus security assistants watched approximately 325 people enjoying food, beverages and music at the 8th Annual International Wine & Beer Festival.
ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Leadership Council organized the festival with the proceeds going toward scholarships for students to study abroad, said Marla Giarratano, ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences director of annual giving and alumni relations.
Students like marketing freshman Sean Genn were surprised when hearing about the event.
"I thought it [ASU] is supposed to be a dry campus," Genn said.
According to ASU University Student Initiatives policy, no alcohol may be served on the ASU campuses, unless it is served at a designated special event pursuant to the Arizona Board of Regents.
The Regent's policy states no one under 21 can be served at the event.
In addition, the USI policy states a permit to serve alcohol must be filed with the ASU Police prior to the event - which the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Leadership Council did, said ASU Police Cmdr. Jim Hardina.
Hardina said the Wine and Beer Festival is not the only event where alcohol is served on campus. ASU Police issue about 150 permits each year, including the Law Society Dinner and the Pac-10/Big-10 Case Competition.
"Normally, the only events that will have alcohol are fundraisers to advance the college [University]," said Leah Hardesty, ASU spokeswoman.
One of the beneficiaries of the fundraiser is plant biology senior Jackie Medrano.
Medrano applied and received two $1,000 scholarships over consecutive years.
The scholarship helped offset the cost of her studies last year in Costa Rica, where she took classes and volunteered her time on a plantation-monitoring project to measure the health and growth rate of trees, Medrano said.
"It was so amazing; I didn't want to come back," Medrano said. "It's a beautiful country with beautiful people and [it] was the experience of my life."
In addition to the $50 entry fee, fundraising efforts included dozens of items up for bid in a silent auction, which included a Brandon Webb-signed Arizona Diamonback jersey, a spa day and a signed Phil Mickelson book.
Graduate MBA student Tammy Mandel said she placed multiple bids and tried to determine if she won anything by the end of the evening.
"Supporting liberal arts is important," Mandel said. "I'm happy to do it."
Giarratano said the planning for the event was no easy task and began shortly after Christmas, including getting alcohol permits from both the city of Tempe and ASU and hiring security.
Giarratano said the goal is to have fun but also to provide a safe environment.
Hardina said other campus groups or organizations could apply for alcohol permits, but they need to be approved by a dean or director at the University, and insurance has to be taken out for the event.
Alcohol needs to be managed legally and responsibly, Hardesty added.
But ASU Executive Director of University Housing Michael Coakley said an alcohol permit cannot be used for an event within the residence halls since alcohol is not permitted in the halls on the Tempe Campus.
Reach the reporter at: jeffrey.mitchell@asu.edu.
