College students like to go to bars.

It’s a way to unwind after a stressful day of class or work. It’s the place we go to dance, drink and be merry with our friends and peers.

So, why is it that NIU students – who spend a great deal of money at the bars – only have convenient access to a handful of them?

There are 16 class A liquor licenses available in DeKalb, because of its population and size, according to the city’s municipal code.

However, DeKalb doesn’t have 16 bars.

One reason for this discrepancy is the classification of establishments within the code.
Under the current wording, liquor stores and bars can have a class A license, available to an establishment that generates more than 75 percent of its revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Most people would probably say that a liquor store and a bar are two very different types of establishments.

You don’t go into a liquor store to hang out and have a good time with your friends, just as you don’t expect to walk out of a bar with a case of beer.

In a conversation with 7th Ward Alderman Brent Keller about the liquor code, he said “moving toward a packaged liquor license is a step in the right direction for the liquor code.”

In August, the DeKalb Liquor Commission discussed possibly creating a P license – specifically for packaged liquor – ostensibly making more class A licenses available for bars.

One problem, however, is that with the limited number of class A liquor licenses available to the town, some retailers might not want to give theirs up as it would limit the possibilities for their businesses in the future.

What DeKalb needs instead is more class A liquor licenses. The current cap puts undue limits on future business projects in DeKalb.

While some have argued that there are already too many places to get alcohol in town, Michael Embrey, a liquor commission member, said, “If someone comes to DeKalb with a solid business plan ... we would be remiss in not reviewing it.”

More specifically, DeKalb needs more class A liquor licenses for the college area. Given how much money students spend at the bars on any given night, we should be afforded greater diversity in our choice of watering holes.

It’s time the city and the commission realize that bars are a safer option for students than house parties.

By concentrating bars in one area, policing and regulation would be easier. And with more college bars there would come greater revenue from taxes and fees.
NIU is a great school.

Someday, DeKalb could become a fun town with an exciting night life, attracting more students and keeping them here on the weekends.

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