Cookin'

To the Editors of the Crimson:

Your February 3 article entitled "Nightclub in Cabot Tests Alcohol Policy" so completely misrepresents my motivation for revitalizing Cookin' that it borders on sensationalism. Contrary to the article's allegations, we are not simply seeking "a vehicle to enable the house to host parties." Although it is true that part of the motivation is to throw "good parties," our faculty advisers agree that our other goals are very praiseworthy.

I know that some of these were explicitly mentioned to your reporter. She apparently didn't realize that Harvard is a desert for many performers looking to showcase their talent and that it is news to some readers that there is a new group around dedicated to presenting live performances. It is a shame that your reporter did not include in her article a description of Cookin' and its actual purposes.

Originally, Cookin' was revived in response to the need of the Cabot House Committee to reapportion some of its responsibilities, so as not to spread itself too thin. The management of an area as large as the Junior Common Room is a full-time job and will benefit from a group of people, separate from House Committee, who can devote the requisite time. Cookin' serves this purpose.

The headline reference to a "Nightclub in Cabot" is clearly misleading. I indeed informed your reporter of Cookin's former epithet "The Cabot House Nightclub," but I also told her that the old Cookin' had a different constitution. The old Cookin' was put to sleep because it was a "nightclub" that was not conforming to the newly established alcohol policy.

Cookin' is now defined by its new charter. Had your reporter investigated this, she would have discovered that Cookin' is a college-wide group which is dedicated to sponsoring live performances. We are not permanently based in Cabot House; we have decided to use the Cabot JCR as a venue until other alternatives are found.

The reporter failed to record in her article that the weekly party/performances are only one small part of the series of activities sponsored by Cookin.' It was only last Saturday's party and the one scheduled for this Friday night that I asked Dean Epps to approve as Type 4 parties.

It is true that we would like to sometimes charge at the door when hosting a dance/performance. This will not always be the case, but it is the only way that we can pay the costs of providing such quality entertainment so regularly. Learning from Cookin's fatal mistake of four years ago, and strictly remaining within the rules and the law, Cookin' will hire police and a University-sanctioned Beverage Authorization Team (BAT) for each event at which alcohol is served.

I would also like to clarify the story behind the interpretation of the guest policy. In order to get into a Type 4 party, one must either be a member of the sponsoring group or have a guest pass which a member of that group gave to you. I was wrong in saying that Master Streidter persuaded the other masters to interpret the guest in this way. He never claimed to have done so. The Master actually consulted with the Administration to interpret the existing rules and policy.

The Crimson does no service to the Harvard community by printing only half of a story. The reporters and editors of the Crimson ought to spend more time understanding the whole story and less time looking to portray a story as a conflict. Neil Segall '90   Chair, Cookin'