Police Bar Hundreds From Concert

More than a dozen Harvard Police officers responded when approximately 400 people tried to attend a rap concert at Adams House last night, resulting in the closing of parts of Plympton St. and the threats of arrest.

Police limited the number of people who could enter the house dining hall, where the concert was held, to approximately 200, saying the room had been filled to capacity.

The concert, which was scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m., featured four disc jockeys and five rap groups. It was organized by Adams House residents Keith A. Levy '95 and Richard K. Pengelly '95, according to Loker Professor of English Robert J. Kiely, the Adams House master.

Some of those present said the unusually large police presence may have been triggered by racial tensions between police and the predominantly Black crowd.

An argument between several Black men and a police officer broke out in front of the Bow St. entrance to the Adams House dining hall. "This is why you don't let niggers into you bitch school," one of the men yelled into the street, after being denied access to the hall.

But Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III said he did not think the heavy police intervention was related to race.

"I'm sure that the police did what was necessary," Epps said in an interview last night, referring to the closing of Plympton St. between Mass. Ave. and Bow St. "I don't think that race had anything to do with it."

The main entrance to Adams House was blocked by 11:30 p.m., as six police cars crowded onto Plympton St. and as more than 15 officers entered the house.

Police had begun arriving outside the main entrance to Adams House around 9:30 p.m. Transmissions on the police radio indicated that officers believed minors were drinking on the Plympton St. sidewalk.

A group of approximately 20 young men was seen drinking beer on Mt. Auburn St. outside Clavery Hall. Three patrol cars pulled up, but the men walked past them and down one block to the main entryway of Adams House.

A crowd of more than 250 students converged in the lobby in front of the dining hall, where tickets were sold. No tickets had been sold in advance, and those wishing to attend the concert were asked first to buy tickets and then to line up to be frisked.

Three security guards from a private security firm searched students' bodies, hats and pockets, as two Harvard Police officers looked on.

Ticket-holders and those waiting to buy tickets were delayed for more than 45 minutes, as additional people packedinto the house lobby.

Concert-goers waiting to buy tickets expresseddissatisfaction with the organization of theevent. "I'm about to pass out," one man yelledinto the crowd, as the concertgoers were packedelbow-to-elbow.

Although guards admitted that friskings delayedentrance, they said they were necessary forsecurity. "You pay, you get searched," one of theprivate guards said.

By 11 p.m. police and security guards allowedconcert-goers to file into the room. But theconcert's organizer's stopped selling ticketsafter about 200 were sold, disappointing around200 of those who had waited.

While one security guard said "between 50 and100" people were turned away, a Harvard policeofficer put the figure differently. "Probably 300or 400 were asked to leave because it wasovercrowded," the officer said.

"They should have held this in a hall fourtimes this size," said one Harvard security guard,who refused to identify himself.

Even after the concert's organizers barredadmission, however, more than 80 people remainedin the house lobby and more than 150 outside theHouse gate, which police officers soon closed.

The people in the lobby were evacuated by fourpolice officers, one with a megaphone, whothreatened to charge them with "loitering."

"We're filled to capacity," said the officerwith the megaphone. "Now you're loitering. Let'smove. If you do not have a Harvard ID you don'tbelong here. Get out of the lobby."

Two police officers stationed at the AdamsHouse gate allowed only Harvard students into thehouse.

By 11:30 crowds still remained on Plympton andBow streets. A group of approximately 30 men andwomen stood behind the Lampoon building on BowSt., until they were required to disperse bypolice officers.

"We're going to lock you up in the wagon," oneofficer said to a member of the crowd. "How wouldyou like to go to jail?"

Police officers also responded to rumors of afight and of "20 people trying to crash down thedoor," according to one officer. Three minuteslater, a group was seen being turned away from theBow Street entrance to the dining hall.

Efforts to reach Levy and Pengelly last nightwere unsuccessful. The concert featured four discjockeys: DJ LP, Day Nuts, Mike D and DJ SugarChild, and five rap groups, who were voted on by anumber of judges.

Concert-goers expressed dissatisfaction withthe handling of the event by both organizers andby police and security. Some blamed the heavypolice involvement on negative stereotypes ofhip-hop music.

"The bottom line is negativity you hear abouthip-hop," said Danny Castro, who works for theLyricist's Lounge, a record label in New YorkCity. "Whenever there's a hip-hop event you'regoing to see police. They feel that it promotesviolence."

"We came up here just to hear the vibes.Negative images in the media have a big part toplay," agreed Larry Davis, who traveled fromBrooklyn for the concert.

"We're just representing, to check out thevibes," Davis added. "It's all the music, nothingmore. Some tensions rappers project in the musiccome from the way it's delivered. But it's deeperthan the music."

Davis attributed the police involvement to theyoung age of most of the concert goers. "At aMotley Crue concert, they search people," hesaid." At a rap concert, they search people. Theymake this up not because of the music but becauseof the age group."

"It's because of the stereotypes," said a youngwoman from Newbury College, who would onlyidentify herself as Desiree G. But, she said,"It's better to be safe than sorry."

BSA President Kristen M. Clarke '97, who stoodin line to buy tickets, said "nothing is wrong.""Everybody is happy and excited to attend theconcert," she said. Clarke said frisking is notlimited to events featuring hip-hop. She said shehad once seen audience members at a Mozart concertfrisked before entering.

Several concert-goers criticized the events'organizers. "It's kind of ridiculous that theseguards are keeping people out," said Soyini C.Coke '98. "When people are told to move back, theyshould have the last time. It's ridiculous howpeople who paid weren't allowed to go in."

One Adams House junior said the police presencewas unusual. "At last year's pre-frosh dance, itwas packed," said the junior, who spoke oncondition of anonymity. "There weren't 10 copswatching all over the place."

"They get this image of gangs and violence.Even before the thing began, there were two carsoutside Bentryway and three outside C-entryway.The only requirement is that you have to hire onesecurity officer for a four-hour police detail."

But Epps downplayed the police presence. "Thepolice are normally assigned to dance in order tomake sure that the capacity is not exceeded at thefunction," he said last night.

Two guards from the private security firm,which they said was ALS Security of Boston,confirmed that ten guards had been hired for theevent

Concert-goers waiting to buy tickets expresseddissatisfaction with the organization of theevent. "I'm about to pass out," one man yelledinto the crowd, as the concertgoers were packedelbow-to-elbow.

Although guards admitted that friskings delayedentrance, they said they were necessary forsecurity. "You pay, you get searched," one of theprivate guards said.

By 11 p.m. police and security guards allowedconcert-goers to file into the room. But theconcert's organizer's stopped selling ticketsafter about 200 were sold, disappointing around200 of those who had waited.

While one security guard said "between 50 and100" people were turned away, a Harvard policeofficer put the figure differently. "Probably 300or 400 were asked to leave because it wasovercrowded," the officer said.

"They should have held this in a hall fourtimes this size," said one Harvard security guard,who refused to identify himself.

Even after the concert's organizers barredadmission, however, more than 80 people remainedin the house lobby and more than 150 outside theHouse gate, which police officers soon closed.

The people in the lobby were evacuated by fourpolice officers, one with a megaphone, whothreatened to charge them with "loitering."

"We're filled to capacity," said the officerwith the megaphone. "Now you're loitering. Let'smove. If you do not have a Harvard ID you don'tbelong here. Get out of the lobby."

Two police officers stationed at the AdamsHouse gate allowed only Harvard students into thehouse.

By 11:30 crowds still remained on Plympton andBow streets. A group of approximately 30 men andwomen stood behind the Lampoon building on BowSt., until they were required to disperse bypolice officers.

"We're going to lock you up in the wagon," oneofficer said to a member of the crowd. "How wouldyou like to go to jail?"

Police officers also responded to rumors of afight and of "20 people trying to crash down thedoor," according to one officer. Three minuteslater, a group was seen being turned away from theBow Street entrance to the dining hall.

Efforts to reach Levy and Pengelly last nightwere unsuccessful. The concert featured four discjockeys: DJ LP, Day Nuts, Mike D and DJ SugarChild, and five rap groups, who were voted on by anumber of judges.

Concert-goers expressed dissatisfaction withthe handling of the event by both organizers andby police and security. Some blamed the heavypolice involvement on negative stereotypes ofhip-hop music.

"The bottom line is negativity you hear abouthip-hop," said Danny Castro, who works for theLyricist's Lounge, a record label in New YorkCity. "Whenever there's a hip-hop event you'regoing to see police. They feel that it promotesviolence."

"We came up here just to hear the vibes.Negative images in the media have a big part toplay," agreed Larry Davis, who traveled fromBrooklyn for the concert.

"We're just representing, to check out thevibes," Davis added. "It's all the music, nothingmore. Some tensions rappers project in the musiccome from the way it's delivered. But it's deeperthan the music."

Davis attributed the police involvement to theyoung age of most of the concert goers. "At aMotley Crue concert, they search people," hesaid." At a rap concert, they search people. Theymake this up not because of the music but becauseof the age group."

"It's because of the stereotypes," said a youngwoman from Newbury College, who would onlyidentify herself as Desiree G. But, she said,"It's better to be safe than sorry."

BSA President Kristen M. Clarke '97, who stoodin line to buy tickets, said "nothing is wrong.""Everybody is happy and excited to attend theconcert," she said. Clarke said frisking is notlimited to events featuring hip-hop. She said shehad once seen audience members at a Mozart concertfrisked before entering.

Several concert-goers criticized the events'organizers. "It's kind of ridiculous that theseguards are keeping people out," said Soyini C.Coke '98. "When people are told to move back, theyshould have the last time. It's ridiculous howpeople who paid weren't allowed to go in."

One Adams House junior said the police presencewas unusual. "At last year's pre-frosh dance, itwas packed," said the junior, who spoke oncondition of anonymity. "There weren't 10 copswatching all over the place."

"They get this image of gangs and violence.Even before the thing began, there were two carsoutside Bentryway and three outside C-entryway.The only requirement is that you have to hire onesecurity officer for a four-hour police detail."

But Epps downplayed the police presence. "Thepolice are normally assigned to dance in order tomake sure that the capacity is not exceeded at thefunction," he said last night.

Two guards from the private security firm,which they said was ALS Security of Boston,confirmed that ten guards had been hired for theevent