A refreshing alternative has emerged at NIU’s fraternities and national Greek systems to challenge the stereotype of college partying. “Bring your own alcohol” fraternity parties have arrived at NIU.

Although this development by no means signals the end of keg parties at NIU or any other school, it symbolizes a reassuring trend of awareness in college campuses and Greek communities regarding alcohol responsibility and limitations.

BYO parties have the potential to limit drinking in several ways. Bringing your own alcohol to a party forces you to think beforehand about how much you want to drink and keep better tabs on how much you actually consume. Several NIU fraternities are using a ticket system to regulate how much is consumed.

This marks a very positive step toward curbing alcohol abuse and misconceptions. Drinking out of cans instead of kegs might also squash the mindset, “We have to finish this entire keg, so let’s drink up, boys and girls.”

Fraternities hopefully won’t use the BYO premise as a cover to add large amounts of “community” alcohol to the cans of beer brought by the party’s guests. Organizations shouldn’t ruin these attempts at limiting alcohol by contributing to the party’s supply, an act that could promote the “unlimited alcohol” attitude that a keg promotes.

As long as guidelines are followed honestly, the BYO parties could help initiate positive changes on the NIU campus and elsewhere.