Do Oxford bars card hard for Miami student IDs?

In Oxford, a Miami University student ID holds power. It authorizes meal purchases, dorm entry and laundry cycles. A more unexpected perk lies in the admission it grants to popular bars Uptown.

Many Oxford establishments require patrons to present a Miami student ID in addition to a valid government-issued ID showing they are at least 18 or 21, depending on bar policy.

While the exact origin of the second-ID policy is unclear, Lt. Adam Price of the Oxford Police Department said it existed when he first began working at the department 20 years ago.The decision to require Miami IDs is up to individual bar owners, and Price said the police have no involvement in it.

Bar employees said they check student IDs as an added precaution against fake IDs and to maintain a primarily Miami student demographic.

“It’s mainly a college bar and we want to keep it safe and fun for everyone who is a student so they don’t feel uncomfortable,” said a bouncer at Brick Street Bar and Grill, who asked to be anonymous for job security purposes. “A lot of other bars that don’t check student IDs get a little sketchy because it’s either townies or people from Cincinnati, Dayton or even Hamilton. It’s not as fun or as safe.”

The bouncer said she accepts both digital and physical Miami IDs. She also checks Canvas or school Gmail accounts if neither are available.

Eli Losey, a junior middle childhood education major who works the door at Side Bar and The Woods (commonly referred to by students as New Bar), said employees cross-reference the name on a Miami ID with the name on a government-issued ID to verify authenticity.

“We need to know it’s not a fake ID,” Losey said. “Obviously, the names need to match. We get a lot of high schoolers on the weekends that will try to go to the bars. If they don’t have a student ID, that’s a way you can tell.”

Losey said he learned to look at meal swipes and plans displayed on Miami IDs as possible indicators of a student’s class year. If someone with an over-21 government-issued ID has meal swipes on their digital Miami ID, he said he takes a closer look.

While the student ID policy can help bars verify student status and prevent underage drinking, it can also create problems for Miami students who have issues accessing their IDs.

If a phone dies or digital ID will not load, the Brick Street bouncer said she asks students questions about their classes, dorms and professors for proof of enrollment. In rare cases, she said she accepts photos of students inside their first-year dorms.

“It’s probably once every shift that someone will argue with me about not having a Miami or student ID,” she said.

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Emma Arentz, a first-year psychology major, said her friends’ Miami IDs loaded slowly due to weak Wi-Fi near the bars.

Kylie Sanuk, a first-year undecided business major, said she also had difficulty showing her Miami Canvas page due to spotty service.

Despite these occasional complications, some Miami students said they support the additional identification requirement.

“Requiring Miami IDs keeps kids from other schools outside of Miami bars,” said a sophomore accounting major. “It’s good bars do the guest thing too so your friends can visit but still keep random kids from other schools out of Oxford.”

Non-Miami students can still enter certain bars under specific conditions. At Brick Street, guests must provide proof of student status and be accompanied by a Miami student. Every Miami student can bring one non-Miami guest.

“I just need to see that guests are actively in school,” the Brick Street bouncer said.

She said she may ask guests for school emails or transcripts to verify enrollment in alternative education programs such as cosmetology or trade school.

Parents pose a notable exception to the one-guest rule, but a Miami student must be present at the door when their parents enter.

The guest policy has relaxed in recent years. The Brick Street bouncer said it used to be more strictly enforced, but now she may allow students to bring in multiple guests if the group seems unproblematic.

Requirements also vary by establishment and time of day.

Losey said his boss determines when customers must present student IDs. During slower days and quieter hours, fewer forms of identification may be required. On busy weekend nights, however, his workplace typically limits admission to Miami students.

For students in Oxford, a Miami ID is more than a campus credential. As Uptown bars balance high entry demand with security and age verification, the red badges in students’ mobile wallets play a vital role in experiencing college town nightlife.

wadzinski@miamioh.edu