By James Riswick
Staff Writer
Let’s say you go to a nearby grocery store to purchase certain beverages. Let’s also say that your name isn’t Babur Nahasamapeti and you are not from Vermont, yet, for some reason your driver’s license says you are. Yes, you own a fake ID.
With the recent firing of two Ralphs employees, the well-liked Harry McDermott and Nancy Cicatelli, the community of Malibu has begun to view Pepperdine students and the university itself in a negative light after three students attempted to purchase alcohol from Ralphs and were caught by government officials.
In letters to the heavily biased Malibu Times, residents called for Pepperdine to crack down on students using fake IDs. Apparently they think the university is not doing enough to stop students from purchasing alcohol and that Pepperdine’s “dry” status should be more stringently enforced. People also called for the immediate suspension or expulsion of the two students and the reinstatement of McDermott and Cicatelli at Ralphs.
I agree with the former sentiment, and although the students should be punished for having fake IDs – they knew what they were getting into when they bought or made them – the truth of the matter is McDermott and Cicatelli should have carded the students who were considered “regulars” by McDermott and Cicatelli.
Had the two Ralphs employees checked the IDs, they would hardly be responsible for not recognizing the IDs as fakes.
At Sav-On Drugs, cashiers check IDs every time, perhaps even if you were to go in there and buy a case of beer every hour. If McDermott and Cicatelli had done this regardless of the perceived “regular” status of the students in question, they would still probably have their jobs.
As to cracking down on students using fake IDs, how are Pepperdine officials supposed to do this? The university already has the authority to sanction students for off-campus parties.
Does the Malibu community expect Public Safety officers to escort students around while they are off campus? While on campus, the alcohol policy is enforced, but not like living in a police state with constant room checks. This is the way it should be.
Letters to the Malibu Times said the university is not living up to its ethical, Christian and dry campus billing. Frankly, the Malibu community should be thankful that Pepperdine plays watchdog on and off campus. If this was a state university, there’s little chance the students would be punished for illegal off-campus activity. What do they want? Grocery bag checks in Upsilon and Rho parking lot?
It is truly a shame that two friendly people were fired — and they definitely should not have been — but the sad truth is that it was their fault. Had they simply done what they were trained to do, which was card everyone regardless of how many times they come in, this would not be an issue. Sav-On does it, which would seem to logically absolve them from legal responsibility.
After all, how should anyone know what a Vermont driver’s license looks like?
January 16, 2003
