A Higher Glyphic

Media Credit: Illinois.gov

Names have been changed to protect identities
Four underage SIUC students got away with buying themselves alcoholic beverages at a local club not too far from campus. They weren't caught, carded, or even questioned.

Earlier this semester on a Saturday night, the four friends decided to go out and have a good time like many other college students that weekend. "We all decided to go to this club called Sin," said Megan Marshall, 19. "It was cold outside and we didn't want to have to walk far, said Felicia Clemons, 19. "Sin was close to our dorms."

Around 10:00 the group of friends arrived at the somewhat deserted club. They showed their identification to the bouncer. He stamped their right hands with a bold, red ink that clearly stated they were underage. "We got to the club kind of early and it wasn't all that crowded," said T.J. Roberts, 19. "We thought it'd be good if we could get some drinks."

Hesitant, but still eager to drink, the group decided to take their chances with the bartender and started to order drinks. Marshall's boyfriend, Jason Vixon, 20, ordered himself a Corona. "He looks older than he really is, so the rest of us weren't surprised when he came back to the table with a beer," said Marshall.

"They didn't card me when I went up to the bar the first time, so I wasn't worried about going back to get everyone else's drinks," said Vixon. After just two trips to the bar, Vixon brought back to their table two more Coronas with lime, a shot of Vodka, and two Bahama Mamas and two Sex on the Beaches with cherries floating in the drinks and orange slices on the rims.

As the group's glasses became empty, the club began to get full. Their night started to pick up and so did the club's atmosphere. "We didn't want to leave just yet, but we were running out of cash," said Roberts.

The bar had a ten-dollar minimum for those paying with credit or debit cards. So Marshall volunteered to use her debit card to buy the last round of drinks for the night. "I was kind of nervous because I thought the bartender was going to ask to see my identification, since I was paying with my debit card and all," said Marshall. "I even thought that he might suspect something because of the kinds of drinks I was buying."

She stepped up to the bar and carefully tried to conduct all transactions with the bartender using her left hand, the hand that had not been stamped by the blatant, red underage marking. "Could I have one Corona, a Green Dragon, an Electric Lemonade and a Cosmopolitan," said Marshall to the bartender.

"I was nervous that it wasn't going to work, but he gave us our drinks. The whole thing was surprisingly simple. I had no idea it could be that easy," said Marshall. "I wonder though, I did have to sign the receipt after having used my debit card. I'm right handed and I can't help but to think that the bartender saw the red stamp on my hand; I guess he just didn't care."

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