Keg Moratorium Issued at Adams

A week after Adams House officials placed a moratorium on kegs at parties, students are wondering why Adams and why now.

Senior Tutor Michael Rodriguez issued the moratorium to House residents via e-mail Sept. 27, stating that the decision was based on the fact that “every weekend since the House has been open we have had significant overcrowding and underage drinking problems usually requiring police involvement.”

The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD), however, doesn’t see behavior at Adams House as a particular concern.

“Without further analysis, it doesn’t appear that there have been any more problems at Adams House than in any of the other houses,” said HUPD spokesperson Peggy A. McNamara.

The Adams moratorium on kegs is temporary, Rodriguez said, but he declined to specify when it would be lifted. The masters are also limiting the size of parties to 40 people.

This decision followed a series of large Adams parties, the first of which was held in Claverly Hall—Adams overflow housing—before the academic year officially started.

The police were also called to break up a party held in A entryway Sept. 14, but this time the call came from the hosts themselves.

“It just started as a theme party with a few rooms in our entryway , but before we knew it, there were people lined up across Bow Street and sitting on the steps of the church,” said Joshua D. Blanchfield ’02, one of 20 people who were hosting the party.

Sara N. Lewis ’04 arrived that night just as the party was breaking up and saw it as yet another example of an increased police presence on campus.

“Harvard was finally starting to feel like a real college party scene. It doesn’t make sense that we work harder than most and get to party less,” Lewis said.

Rodriguez said that he and other House officials are actively working to resolve this situation.

One step in this process is the formation of a committee of students and House masters to discuss effective methods of crowd control during parties held in the House.

“We are considering many options, one of which might be having a security detail at every party with a keg,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know what goes on in other Houses, but we want to make sure our students are safe.”