By Chelsey Schweitzer 

Staff Writer 

21 and over venues exclude many students from concerts and shows that they want to see.

This is especially true when it comes to concerts, which many students wish to attend. 21 and over venues make it so that students often have to miss these shows and are unable to see their favorite bands live. What makes this even worse is that with some bands, these venues are their only local stop and the sole chance that students have to see them.

This should not be the case as music is a popular outlet for the stressed college student. In addition, venues that are 21 and over make it difficult for college students that have friends over and under 21  to find things to do together over weekends and in their free time. This is not only true for concerts. The majority of comedy clubs are also 21 and over venues. This makes it so that students are unable to see their favorite comics perform live and denies students an outlet where they can laugh after a stressful day on campus.

These venues are usually designated as 21 and over due to the fact that alcohol is served on the premises. In other cases, the venue in which the show is being held is within a casino. While it makes sense that these businesses want to avoid underage drinking and gambling, excluding all people under the age of 21 is not the best method of prevention. There are many other ways to make sure students under 21 are not drinking or gambling. For example, these venues could sell tickets specifically for those under 21 and have a separate seating section for these patrons, ensuring that those in this section are not allowed to be sold or to have alcoholic beverages. In addition, these venues could provide plastic fastening colored wristbands for those under 21, making these individuals easily identifiable when passing through casinos. Each of these methods would allow all students to unwind after a long week by listening to their favorite bands or watching a comedian perform.