It’s always a big question on campus.

Should students of legal age be allowed to drink alcohol on campus? Are students mature enough to handle alcohol responsibly? The answer has always been a stiff no.

And as Missouri Southern adds university to its name, the question has arisen again. Wet or dry?

“It’s a good question,” said Ross Gipson, senior English major. “There are pros and cons on both sides.”

Gipson said he is in support of a wet campus but understands there could be problems with the policy change.

“It would allow students to be adults,” Gipson said. “But there’s also a high risk of misuse.”

The best solution, Gipson said, would for the University to allow alcohol on campus but find appropriate rules to enforce.

“It should be wet, but the school needs to make the appropriate policies,” he said.

Doug Carnahan, dean of students, has seen the effects alcohol has on students and believes Southern is not even close to having a rule change.

“The trend is to go away from alcohol,” Carnahan said. “The problems are just enormous if you allow it.”

Carnahan said he does not see Southern changing its stance on the topic.

“Just because we changed to a university doesn’t mean we are going to change our alcohol policy,” Carnahan said. “I personally hope not.”

At the University of Missouri, alcohol is forbidden on the University’s property unless it involves special events with the school president and/or chancellor. Southwest Missouri State University is a dry campus as well.

Pittsburg State University does allow alcohol, however, the beverage must be 3.2 percent or lower to be appropriate and meet PSU standards.

“If we allowed drinking on campus, it would compound problems,” Carnahan said.

Southern, on occasion, holds administrative events which serve alcoholic beverages. To do that, however, University President Julio León must be present.

“I think the college would make a major step backward if we had a more liberal policy on alcohol on campus,” Carnahan said. “I don’t see any advantages.”

Mandy Hendricks, senior general studies major, said since many students in the residence halls already drink, the University should look into the change.

“People are going to drink anyway,” Hendricks said. “The school should just go ahead and let them.”

As far as the possibility of the campus selling alcohol, Hendricks said she would not support that idea.

“I don’t think selling alcohol on campus is a good idea,” she said.

Hendricks said she would support the campus if it were ever to become wet.

“Students who are of legal age should be able to drink,” she said.

Carnahan said the Board of Governors would make the final decision for Southern to become wet.

Carnahan said the University is always up for discussing that matter.

Whether or not the policy will change is a different story.

“It would take one heck of an argument for me to see this happening,” he said.