IT’S MY PARTY

The new guidelines seek to clarify the College’s alcohol policy by examining terms such as “social events on campus” and “private party.”

The policy defines the former as “organized functions held in House common areas...or non-residential facilities...where alcohol is served.”

At these events, the policy said, beer, wine, and malt drinks will continue to be allowed, while hard liquor will still be banned. Kegs will be permitted at non-athletic social events—perpetuating the ban on kegs at tailgates which has long irked attendees.

The events must be registered and may not serve alcohol for longer than five hours. For parties longer than two hours, partygoers must get in line for alcohol at least thirty minutes before the event ends and receive their drink at least fifteen minutes before the conclusion of the party.

A “private party” under the new policy constitutes an event hosted by one or more students, in their own room or suite, where guests are allowed by personal invitation only.

If all hosts of the event are 21 or older, then kegs, beer, wine, malt drinks, and hard liquor will continue to be permitted at these private events.

Students seeking to host a private party are required to meet with their tutor before hosting their first party of each academic year. While the policy states that hosts must also demonstrate a “satisfactory understanding of strategies to create safe social environments,” as well as comply to state laws, it does not elaborate on how administrators, House Masters, and tutors will operationalize such standards.

SOBER REMINDERS

When it comes to the details of actual alcohol consumption—particularly drinking games—the policy is vague.

The document states: “Activities that promote high-risk drinking, such as excessive and/or rapid consumption of alcohol, particularly of a competitive nature, are not permitted. It is expected that hosts will plan parties where drinking is not the central activity.”

Asked on Thursday whether the new policy permits students to play beer pong, a College administrator who spoke on background declined to respond.

Winthrop HoCo Co-Chair Marissa C. Friedman ’14 said she was concerned that the new policy’s “vague language” about competitive drinking games would leave each tutor to enforce the regulation as he sees fit.

“There are going to be some tutors who see any drinking game as a competitive high-risk drinking game and will shut it down...versus other tutors who are going to be very lax about it and say it’s okay as long as people aren’t chugging a handle,” Friedman said. “The vague language doesn’t really allow for University consistency, which I think could be a problem.”

Leverett HoCo Co-Chair Gary D. Carlson ’13 said that the HoCo Chairs expressed concern about the new policy’s ambiguous wording, particularly with regard to punishment, at their meeting on Tuesday.