Farewell to open water bottles and messy foods coming through the gates. Starting this year, administrators have decided to check bags at football games in an effort to keep the stands drug and alcohol free.

Principal Peyton Chapman made the decision to monitor what was being brought in to the games after she received a few tips from students regarding events involving drugs and alcohol before high school sporting events.

“It’s students who came up to me and mentioned that there was pre-gaming going on and that I should check up on what’s going on during the game,” Chapman said.

Not just Lincoln has decided to check bags. Other schools in the state also monitor what’s being brought into the stands, Chapman said. The administration partly based its decision to check bags because it had been successful at other schools, she said.

Although monitoring drugs and alcohol was the main concern, Chapman said she was still watching for open messy containers of nachos or other sloppy foods. As the home field for four Portland high schools, the piling garbage can take its toll, she explained.

“We just don’t have the funds to pull out our custodians after school hours to help clean up the stands,” she said.

Staff members get paid to help monitor what’s coming in and out of the stands. Health teacher Timm Ross-Goldhammer has helped out at two games and said that the whole process has gone smoothly.

“It’s a great policy to keep our kids safe and particulary the kids that choose not to participate in drugs and alcohol,” he said.

Goldhammer also said that parents have thanked the administrators and staff on duty for making sure the students and visiting students are safe and alcohol free. He’s pleased with the strong student cooperation to increase safety.

As a result, no major incidents of alcohol or drug use have been reported so far. Students don’t seem to mind the extra precautions. “Even though it feels like I’m at the airport and it violates my privacy, I can understand that the admistration wants to make sure we’re safe,” senior Raja Cholan said.

Other students feel the checking of bags is a good idea.

“I think it’s a very good way of monitoring drinking at football games,” said senior Anna Epstein.

According to Chapman, students who refuse to have their bags checked can store their belongings in a locked storage room. That way, the stands can be completely drug and alcohol free, which was the main goal of the administration, she said.

“Our goal is to make sure high school events are safe and healthy for all students. This is an added cause to keep drugs and alcohol out of high school sponsered events,” Chapman said.