Dancing around the line

By now, you may have heard about the Green Purse Bonus. It was launched last August 1 by the University Student Government’s Office of the Executive Treasurer (OTREAS), and is a network of partner establishments that provide discounts and special privileges to Lasallians who present their school ID at these places.

As I read through the still-growing list of partner establishments, I was impressed by some of the names on that list. They got places such as Krispy Kreme, Manang’s, and MiniStop, which were already establishments that were frequented by students; having them as GPB partners would then certainly give Lasallian students more value for their money. There were other partners aside from restaurants on the list, such as Toby’s Sports and Generika Drugstore.

However, one particular name on the list jumped out at me. I was surprised to see Hyve, a popular night club in Bonifacio Global City, on the GPB list. More than the connotations associated with such an establishment, Hyve highlighted to me a disparity between the policies that are implemented and how they are carried out.

It should be noted that organizations under the CSO are not actually allowed to get liquor companies as sponsors for their activities; this is understandably to protect the reputation of the school. Look at any approved poster by an organization under the CSO and you will notice no mention of alcohol companies. Additionally, I have never seen an activity by the USG that had an alcohol company as a sponsor as well. Associating the name of De La Salle University to companies that produce liquor would be contrary to the Lasallian values that the school cultivates.

This brings me to Hyve. True, it is technically not an alcoholic company. It is technically a place where people dance that also just happens to sell a large variety of liquor. However, we cannot deny that night clubs carry a certain connotation that are very similar to those of alcohol companies. Though it is located in the upscale Bonifacio Global City, for all its luxe and swanky interiors, one still cannot shake off the culture of drinking that is invariably associated with a night club.

The problem here is deciding how closely they can toe the line before it is considered crossed. The policy of not having alcohol sponsors to uphold the integrity of the University’s name seems weakened when, in the pursuit of impressive names, this integrity is bartered using technicalities and loopholes.

At its heart, the Green Purse Bonus can be beneficial to both the students and the partner establishments. The people behind the project were certainly able to get some big name partners, something that many Lasallians will appreciate. No doubt there will also be students who will make use of the exclusive privileges offered by Hyve. However, in trying to turn heads with these big names, can such policies be so readily equivocated? How close to the line can we dance before we compromise its integrity?