To the editors:

It is a sad day when the Harvard administration decides to act tyrannically, revoking from students and alum their liberty to consume beer from kegs at a festive occasion such as the Harvard-Yale game (News, Dec. 14). As a minor I cannot drink, but I do have some thoughts on the issue.

In walking around the area surrounding The Game on that Saturday, something was apparent that is otherwise seldom seen around this campus: spirit. All kinds of people from different circles came to see the game and hang out with friends on a crisp fall day.

And yes, without a doubt, there was drinking. Further, without a doubt, there were also certain people who proved unable to handle themselves while drinking. But the administration has chosen to remedy this in a ridiculous way. In the free society in which we all live, the administration decided to impose a ban on students, removing perhaps the most benign form of drinking--keg beer.

And while drinking from kegs does not have to directly correlate to spirit, I think from this decision we will see yet another dampening of campus-wide support for a great activity. I see no reason why any substantial restrictions should be placed on a day that brought students out from all walks of life.

But forget the students for a minute, for whom this draconian punishment is intended. There are thousands of alumni who want to see this game and tailgate before it. They should have the ability to do this, and do so with kegs if they desire. Essentially, what I gather from this is that Harvard is too lazy to find a solution in which people can still maintain their free choice. That is sad. The choice to drink from kegs should be made by individuals, not an institution. But it seems Harvard sees it another way.

Brad R. Sohn '02