Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2005/05/13/at_last_a_more_sensible_alcohol_policy.php
Friday, May 13, 2005
The age-old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," rarely seems to enter the great minds of the occupants of Parkhurst. However, in certain cases, when the administration realizes the errors of its way, it can do a respectable job in remedying its less-than-popular policies.
Last fall, Dean of the College James Larimore called for a committee to regulate student events with alcohol, currently subject to the Social Events Management Procedures. The SEMP Review Committee was charged with finding a solution to the red-tape, impracticality, and confusion that surrounds the current alcohol policy. The committee consisted of five administrators: Joe Cassidy, the Associate Dean of Student Life; Deborah Carney, the Assistant Dean of Residential Life; Marcia Kelly, the Director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs; Harry Kinne, the Director of Safety and Security; and Ryan Travia, the Coordinator of Alcohol and Other Drug Education Programs. Six senior students, three of whom were elected by the student body, were also on the committee.
The SEMP policy, which deals exclusively with alcohol-related social events, was put into effect in order "to provide the safest possible social atmosphere for members of the college community and their guests." While the SEMP policies were helpful in managing the distribution of alcohol on campus, the complex rules and the various interpretations made them extremely difficult to follow and ultimately kept those of legal age from enjoying a beer or two. The new procedures, recommended by the committee and approved in full by Dean Larimore, clearly outline the restrictions organizations have to follow and allow for some degree of autonomy for the organizations.
According to the new SEMP rules that will go into effect during the fall of 2005, there will be three tiers of social events, based on what committee member Robert Freiman '05 called "a continuum of manageability." Unlike the old policy, the revised one clearly delineates and classifies all events, ensuring that there is little to no ambiguity in how a social event is categorized, and ergo, how these social events shall be conducted.
The first tier is considered "members only" and, as the name implies, is limited to the members of an organization. This event does not have to be registered with Safety and Security by the organization and, in turn, it is not subject to Safety and Security walkthroughs. Wristbands that denote a legal drinking age are not required for events that are considered part of this tier, which are no longer constrained by the old SEMP policy that limited non-registered events to forty people, even if the organization's membership exceeded that number. Kegs are still not allowed in this tier; hard alcohol is allowed, though. This is the only tier where hard alcohol is allowed because, according to research from Dick's House and Judicial Affairs, consumption of liquor causes a great number of the most severe intoxication cases on campus.
The second tier will be for "closed" events, with up to 80 organization members and visitors in attendance. As usual, only one source of alcohol can be present (a solitary keg, canned beer, or wine) but, instead of registration, it will be sufficient to notifying Safety and Security that an event will take place. These events will not be subject to walkthroughs. However, Freiman said these parties "will be governed by internal alcohol and SEMP policies that organizations will have to create by the end of this spring term. Each group's policy will be unique, because of the variety of social cultures, group personalities, and physical plants." While the sui generis nature of each organization and the administration's potential views on these individually proposed plans have some worried, many hail the "closed event" as the champion of the new SEMP policy.
This tier was introduced primarily because organizations were perpetually confused under the old SEMP code as to whether small intimate events, such as house dinners, formals, parent banquets, etc., had to be registered with the College if alcohol was present. This proved to be especialy difficult when alumni and parents (not current College undergraduates) were the invited guests. The author remembers Family Weekend during his own sophomore summer when, during a picnic at a fraternity for all members and their respective families, parents were denied any sort of alcoholic beverages, from beer to wine, due to the house's fear of running wayward of the old policy. The new policy attempts to remedy this asinine inconvenience.
The third tier of the new SEMP policy is called an "open" event and due to the difficulties in managing these events, little has changed. An "open" event has no invitation list and as its name states, it is open to the entirety of the campus. The number of attendants at these parties is limited only by the fire code regulations of the physical structure itself. And just like before, in order to request and register kegs, the "hosts" must meet with Office of Student Life and a Student Activities staff member. While the concept for this tier is practically the same in terms of management, the changes that will go into effect will make the registration of events easier and more streamlined, although the amount of alcohol allotted per organization per event [see TDR 10/4/04] is still a contentious issue that needs to be addressed. Much of the bureaucratic red tape and mess with registering parties has been abolished, providing organizations with easier means of registering.
A new option available to social organizations will be the "on the fly" notification which gives them the option of calling Safety and Security dispatch and notifying them should one of their events jump tiers and necessitate a formal registration, as when an unusual surge in people of more than forty people to a fraternity basement. Then, later on during the week, representatives from the organizations would go in and explain to Student Activities as to why they needed to notify Safety and Security. If their reason is deemed legitimate, they'll be fine. However, if the "on the fly" is used inappropriately, then the privilege can be suspended or revoked. Organizations have unlimited use of this new feature, conversely, because of the logistical challenges in terms of events available to the entire campus, on the fly registration will not be an option for "open" events.
While many of these changes are welcomed, several organizations' officers fully intend on being cautious come next fall. Chi Gamma Epsilon Fraternity social chairman Adam Rauchut '06 explains: "As with any policy changes, there is always concern as to how they [the new SEMP policies] will be implemented. I think that all fraternities will be careful in the fall to see how smoothly the policy runs and how harsh restrictions will be."
Freiman displays more optimism: "I expect that Greek leaders will welcome the changes, as many of them are aimed at making events both safer and more efficient. If the new policy is utilized correctly, it will help keep organizations off probation, due to the new event categories and simpler registration procedures."
It will be interesting to see how the new procedures play into actuality and how they will be enforced. Regardless, though, it appears to be a step in the right direction for the Greek system and an acknowledgement by the administration that their policies are not always grounded in practicality. The SEMP revision committee will process the new mandates and continue to make recommendations with the help of eight new senior representatives. And while the administration still foolishly considers kegs to be the cause of Dartmouth's demise, the proliferation of kegs in social scenes is a step (although a small one) in the right direction. "I am thrilled that they are allowing kegs more often, and only wish that they would ban cans and make the return to kegs campus wide," Rauchut said. Indeed, many share his sentiments but considering who holds the reins at Parkhurst, I wouldn't hold my breath.