Speculation about whether or not personal information is automatically passed on to Alcohol Law Enforcement when students 21 and older buy kegs from the local bars has circulated around campus for some time.

With a new school year starting and new alcohol policies in place, the rumor mill is buzzing. Amid rumors about the A.L.E, North Carolina’s infamous Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement, and underage drinking, the gossip surrounding the purchasing of kegs has come to the forefront.

“We’re required to take down that information and keep it for at least three months,” said West End Station manager, Josh Ezrine.

However Ezrine says the close-to-campus bar does not pass the information along to the A.L.E.

“They’ve never asked for that kind of information,” he said.

The rumor is coming into the spotlight even more as the university puts new alcohol policies in place for the students.

“I’ve heard that if you’re 21 and you buy a keg, they just pass your information along,” freshman Elizabeth Jones said. “It’s like they really want to crack down when it comes to underage drinking and all of the new alcohol policies.”

Jones seems to have heard many of the alcohol related rumors that have made their way from class to class and student to student.

“There seem to be so many stories,” she said. “Because I’m a freshman, I try hard not to believe everything I hear.”

These rumors tend to have little truth to them, as West End has said they do not release the information.

Along with the rumors of passing on the information surrounding purchased kegs, general gossip exists about what other kind of information the bars could possibly be passing onto the A.L.E.

Fake ID’s are another issue.

“If we think it’s fake,” Erzine said. “We just don’t accept it.”

The story regarding the purchasing of kegs appears to be false, but the other tales regarding alcohol policies, are still running rampant throughout the student population.

Reporter: Abigail Bassett - 09/26/07