Entertainment without the alcohol

How do you create a late-night weekend program that is successful without serving beer? It's difficult. It's hard to get most of us out of our rooms on the weekends without the promise of some choice hops.\nIf you asked Geraldo Rivera, he would explain this as rampant and nationwide alcohol addiction in 12 to 20 year olds. Geraldo is another in the series of fine journalists who think they just broke the story on binge drinking on college campuses. \nFox News in Chicago ran a piece a few months ago in which Walter Jacobsen dressed up as a keg, sat by a fraternity somewhere in Illinois, and sure enough, 25 minutes later, was tapped by some surly looking 18 and 19 year olds.\nThe problem I see with college drinking is it seems to have taken first priority on the "ingredients to a good weekend" list. Again, don't get me wrong -- I do like beer. I'm a Harp man myself. \nBut I would be wary if the presence (or lack) of beer alone influenced my weekend decisions. And I think that on occasion, it probably has. I think this is true for a lot of us. \nCase in point: Weekends at the Indiana Memorial Union. Friday nights at 10 p.m., students can come to the Union and see Comedy Caravan for free. The same comics you pay $7 to see at Bear's Place and make you choke on your tongue from laughing so hard play the Union for free if you're an IU student. There are something like 36,000 students on this campus, and I figure half of them enjoy laughing. \nSo why aren't we getting 18,000 a night? Because you can't bring beer into the Union. (Be patient -- I'm working on it.)\nThese guys play the big clubs in L.A. and New York. They have been on the "Tonight Show." People have paid $50 a seat to see them. Union Board brings them for free to the IMUG, and one would think at least 1,000 students a night would want to see them. But we're only getting something like 980 students per show.\nHow about films? At 8 and 11 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Whittenberger Auditorium, Union Board shows free blockbuster films. This week's film: "When Harry Met Sally." And here as well, we haven't broken 1,000 students a show. \nWhy? No beer. \nCertainly, when you have 1,000 college students in a room, it's fun whether you have beer or not. My contention, though, is that because of the reverence we display for beer, it's hard to get the other 35,000 IU students attending.\nMy point is this: There's nothing wrong with wanting to go have a few beers on the weekends. I just think we should make "fun" the first priority, and then worry about beer.\nLet me up the ante: this week, Late Night will feature, in addition to the regularly scheduled free films and stand-up comedy, a 4-band lineup in Alumni Hall, with bands from Bloomington to Chicago to D.C. The show will start at 10 p.m. in Alumni Hall. This is a test run.\nThis isn't the war on drugs. This is just another party with more entertainment, less alcohol and fewer arrests. Stop by between bar visits if you like, but it's worth a look.\nBecause beer is off the list, our first priority is entertainment. See you Friday.