There was standing room only at Oxford Courthouse Chamber Tuesday evening, even with more than 20 people seated on the floor.

More than 100 Miami students and Oxford citizens gathered at the City Council meeting to give input on the proposed ordinance banning outdoor drinking games, input that will have to wait for another day.

The Council tabled consideration of the ordinance until their Dec. 5 meeting, honoring a request of the Miami Student-Community Relations Committee that more time was needed for

community and student input.

Bobbe Burke, SCRC Chair and Coordinator of Off Campus Affairs said the group thought more student public input was needed before a vote should go to Council.

"The consensus on the group was to forward a request for more time for consideration," Burke said. "The SCRC will organize and publicly promote a forum on Friday, Nov. 17."

The forum is to take place at 4 p.m. on Nov. 17 in the Lane Public Library meeting room.

After the council received Burke's report, an initial motion was made to immediately table the ordinance as suggested, but Councilman Alan Kyger stepped in and suggested the council have some discussion of the issue so the large crowd in attendance could hear the council's viewpoints.

At one point, councilwoman Alysia Fischer asked how many in the audience were planning on addressing the council regarding the ordinance.

More than 20 hands were raised among the crowd.

Fischer said she was concerned about the message the outdoor drinking games were sending to the community, to children and to visitors.

"There is a cultural symbol of the beer pong table," Fischer said.

Fischer said beer pong is "not a tradition" in Oxford and that four or five years ago there were no beer pong tables on front lawns.

Councilman Kyger said he had some ambivalence about the bill but gave the example of a 12-year-old on a bike passing a house in his neighborhood at 4 p.m. on a Saturday and seeing people playing beer pong and getting drunk.

"That's not fair. I'm concerned about the example it is setting," Kyger said. "It's the example to youth in this area from role models."

Councilman Dave Prows said he has voiced concerns about problems with the drinking game ban because of privacy issues. Prows said laws already on the books like noise and public disturbance ordinances should take care of the problem.

Ross took the opportunity to bring up an e-mail sent to him by a student who opposes the ordinance.

"I received a message saying that beer pong was a civil right," Ross said.

Councilman Kenneth Bogard spoke out about alcohol abuse, linking it to crimes including rapes on campus.

"It creates a safety problem, it creates vandalism, it creates crime," Bogard said.

Mayor Jerome Conley said the ultimate issue is the safety of the citizens of Oxford.

"We must act in a proactive way as much as we can," Conley said.