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HEAT anticipates 700 students at Fire Ball this year. “With an event that size there have been some issues, especially around alcohol use,” Krebs said.

“We aren’t going to breathalyze everyone who comes in,” Krebs said. “We just want people to be responsible.” He said there have been a few people in the past who have ruined the experience for other students. Krebs also said that the issue, as he has experienced, generally hasn’t been with students who are of age to drink. He said underage students may drink a lot before they get to the event, and they don’t realize it will hit them later.

“Frankly, I don’t foresee using [a breathalyzer] that much,” Krebs said. The tests are meant to prevent an unsafe level of alcohol abuse. In the past, the decision to allow a student to attend Fire Ball has been completely subjective based on how intoxicated the student appeared. breathalyzers will allow security, mainly St. Paul Police Officers, to take action more concretely.

There will be consequences to students who are found to be overly intoxicated. If the student is underage, there will be actions taken on campus as well as possible civil action by the city/state, although Krebs did not specify. Students at a Hamline sponsored event, whether on campus or off, are subject to Hamline policies about alcohol use for underage students, Krebs said. Overly intoxicated students will not be allowed in the event.

It has not been decided who will administer the tests. Krebs suspects he will have to give a few when he is stationed at the bus boarding site. There will also be capabilities to administer the tests when students get to the event as well. breathalyzer tests will continue to be an option at future events.

HEAT has also felt the backlash of highly intoxicated students attending their events. It is becoming more difficult to enlist faculty and staff to help chaperone the event because they don’t want to deal with drunk students. It has also become harder to find venues that are willing to host such an event, due to the damage done to the property and the liability issues attached with underage drinking.

There will still be beer and wine available on site, with a three drink limit, for those students of drinking age. One other change to Fire Ball comes when students check in. The ticket-taking and ID-checking process will occur on the Hamline campus, at the Student Center Front Desk, as opposed to on site, as has happened in past years. This will happen to expedite the process when students get to the dance site.