If 19-year-old ISU students want to have a good time at a bar, they have to leave Ames to find one.

The reason: The Ames City Code contains a clause that prevents minors from entering bars, except when more than 50 percent of the sales are from non-alcoholic items.

Ames City Councilman Steve Goodhue, 2nd Ward, said he likes the code as it is.

“I sense no desire to change the current code,” Goodhue said. “It’s been tried in the past and it’s been abused.”

In Iowa City, however, a number of drinking establishments are open to minors.

Iowa City Councilman Steven Kanner said the city has a “no-age factor,” which means a person of almost any age can go into a bar.

He said the reason for this is because it is good economically and gives students somewhere to go and have a good time.

Theresa Scott, freshman in pre-landscape architecture, said underage students at Iowa State don’t have much to do.

“If you’re under 21, the only things to do are football games and illegal parties,” Scott said.

Neil Schlader, Friday night manager of Big Shots, 2522 Chamberlain St., said Saturday night crowds are about 50 percent minors. Despite the bar’s success, he said they still plan to allow minors inside on Saturday nights only.

If caught selling to minors, it could be fined or possibly lose its liquor license for 90 days.

Although Boheme Bistro, 2900 West St., allows minors into the bar every night and Big Shots has underage night on Saturdays, this leaves few options for the minors who are looking for a fun place to go in the evenings.

“The greek system is much bigger here [than in Iowa City] maybe, because there aren’t the bars or places to go if you’re under 21,” said Shannon Herbold, sophomore in liberal arts and sciences. “It would be nice if there was a place to go, not necessarily a bar, but a place to go and dance or something.”

Ron Chives, Boys and Girls Club program director, said they are most concerned about young people.

“Our first responsibility is to the youth of the community,” Chives said.

Although the Boys and Girls Club has not sponsored activities for 18- to 20-year-olds before, Chives said he would consider doing something for that age group. However, the Boys and Girls Club lacks the resources and staff to sponsor activities for young adults on a regular basis, he said.

Chives said he would like to put on a dance for underage students, since he remembers being in that position himself.

Herbold said she didn’t like the city code prohibiting minors from most establishments.

“I guess it depends on how you feel about underage drinking,” she said.

Other students said they are glad Iowa State provides a different atmosphere than other college towns.

“In Iowa City, they have a reputation for being drunks,” said Melissa Zuspann, sophomore in engineering. “We don’t need that here in Ames.”