College, House Officials Discuss Party Rules

Several private parties were broken up and one student was arrested this weekend, even as College and house officials are meeting to discuss ways to make regulations governing parties more effective.

"We will be reviewing the rules for private parties that the masters have adopted," Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III said yesterday.

Epps said he met on Friday with a small group of senior tutors and Harvard's chief of police, Paul E. Johnson, to talk about the problem of private parties that "spill over" into halls. He said concern about current policy arose as a result of several incidents a week ago.

At that time, Harvard police broke up parties at Leverett, Lowell, Kirkland, Currier, Mather and Adams Houses "because someone called to complain about overcrowded rooms or excessive noise," Johnson said last week.

This weekend, both Harvard and Cambridge police responded to incidents stemming from private parties, one of which led to the arrest of an undergraduate.

At Quincy House, a glass door was smashed and a refrigerator thrown down the stairs during a party Saturday, according to a report filed by Philip Lanciano, the security officer on duty at the time.

Later that night, security officers disbanded two parties because of complaints about noise.

The report also said that after failing to reach a resident tutor in New Quincy, security officers contacted Harvard police, who sent a cruiser to the scene. But Quincy House senior tutor Mary McGee said she thought the police never arrived.

"I'm very surprised that the police were called in and I was not informed," McGee said. "I was up until 1 a.m. and would have been glad to help out."

Claverly Student Arrested

Early Saturday morning, Cambridge police arrested Jean Jacques M. Barrow '92 for disorderly conduct on the sidewalk in front of Claverly Hall, according to a police report.

Although Barrow was not attending a party at the time of his arrest, he said the incident leading to it arose when a city resident leaving a Claverly party smashed the Centrex phone outside his dormitory.

Police reports said Barrow was involved in afight with the Cambridge resident, but he calledthe incident "more a matter of brinksmanship."

Officers arrived on the scene half-an-hour intothe dispute and broke up the crowd of about 40onlookers, said Aubrey S. Okpaku '92, a friend ofBarrow's who also argued with "the townie."

Okpaku said he stopped the argument when thepolice arrived, and Barrow asked the police toarrest the Cambridge resident.

"I started bitching at the police because theylet people walk away who had done damage toHarvard property," Barrow said. "If that was theiridea of justice then they should arrest me," hesaid he told the officers.

But Barrow, who said he was "smashed out of hisbrains" at the time, added that he pushed hisluck. When the Adams affiliate demanded that thepolice arrest the Cambridge resident, they warnedhim that they would arrest him if he persisted,Okpaku said.

Barrow was then charged and taken to theCambridge police station, where he remained anhour until his senior tutor--Janet E.Viggiani--posted bail.

It is not known whether Harvard'sAdministrative Board will take action on the case.

Barrow's court hearing is scheduled for today