Junior Kelcey Hoyle does not really party anymore. But a lot of her peers found their way into the college party scene when she was a Mount Pleasant High School student.

It mainly was high school juniors and seniors, but about 30 to 40 percent of seniors would go to college parties, she said.

"They wouldn't talk about it much, but you would know (they went)," she said.

Alcohol can become more accessible to high school students through friends and family who attend college.

College students would invite their younger brothers and sisters to parties, and they would invite their friends, Hoyle said.

She said she does not think the college students think about the consequences.

"They just thought, 'Hey, I'm going to hang out with my brother and sister and if they want alcohol, I'll hook them up,'" Hoyle said.

Separating high school students from college students may allow for younger people to partake in age-appropriate activities and help avoid underage drinking.

"(High school students) don't have much to do in Mount Pleasant, except to hang out with college kids," said Keisha Brown, athletic director and counselor at Sacred Heart Academy. "I think if you give kids things to do that are age appropriate, it will help."

Hoyle said high school students can find ways to get alcohol anywhere, but she thinks there is more of an opportunity in Mount Pleasant because of the party options and all the parties on Main Street.

The consequences

Mount Pleasant is more apt to issue citations to minors, said Dave Sabuda, public information officer for the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

"Looking in a college town, we are going to experience more MIPs," Sabuda said.

This becomes a bigger issue with high school students after a senior class graduates, Sabuda said.

"I'm not saying (high school and college students) don't mix, but it just isn't two groups you see mix too often," he said.

In 2008, the Isabella County Sheriff's Department issued 113 minor-in-possession charges, said Leo Mioduszewski, Isabella County sheriff.

The MPPD gave out 306 liquor violations in 2008, which includes MIPs, open intoxication violations and open alcohol in public violations, Sabuda said.

Jeff Thoenes, principal of Mount Pleasant High School, said he has not had too many issues dealing with underage drinking at the school. He can recall only a handful of situations where there were problems on campus, and the only ones looked at off campus are athletes.

"If they are off campus it's on their own time, except athletes," Thoenes said.

Hoyle said she has seen high school students affect their career in sports because of alcohol.

Some solutions

High school students can go to Morey Courts Recreation Center, 5175 E. Remus Road, to be around people their age, Brown said.

"(Before), people had to go to the (Student Activity Center), which they are still being around the college influence," Brown said.

She thinks the more activities high school age students are given, the less time they will spend around older college students.

With the end of the semester for CMU and prom season for high schools quickly approaching, there might be an increased problem with alcohol, Mioduszewski said.

One strategy law enforcement officials are implementing is to use grant money to start underage drinking patrols during this time, he said. These patrols would include officers from CMU police, the MPPD and the sheriff's department.

university@cm-life.com