Grant Later Party Hours

Tonight at 6 p.m., the Cambridge Licensing Commission will evaluate a proposal to sell Harvard University 2 a.m. entertainment licenses to be used for second semester dining hall parties. The hearing, which will be held next to Cambridge City Hall at 831 Mass. Ave., is open to the public and will likely attract a contingent of Harvard undergraduates who support the proposal.

We laud the efforts of those students who have actively lobbied for increased Harvard party hours, and we urge the Commission to grant the licenses for the benefit of the undergraduate community. On Oct. 10, Harvard’s House Masters agreed to allow non-alcoholic House dining hall parties to last until 2 a.m. Though this was a significant victory for a student body that often experiences a subpar social life, the parties cannot continue until the later hour unless the Licensing Commission approves the sale of the entertainment licenses.

The Cambridge Licensing Commission has in the past opposed late-night activities that could potentially become noise disturbances. However, the Harvard Houses are largely separate from residential areas, and House parties do not burden the public with excessive noise.

Moreover, it is unrealistic to believe that Harvard students would stop socializing after 1 a.m. on weekends if the licenses weren’t granted. Instead, maintaining current party restrictions would continue to force undergraduates to roam the streets searching for final clubs and bars after College-sponsored parties end. Not only would this likely cause a greater noise disturbance than any House party, it would also maintain a social scene in which students are unable to find more hospitable social venues than the clubs and bars present.

The current proposal is only the first step in bettering undergraduate social life. The House Masters have only agreed to extend non-alcoholic dining hall parties, but both dining hall parties that do serve alcohol and private suite parties in the House could be permitted to remain open until 2 a.m. without significant consequences. For the benefit of the undergraduate community, we urge the Commission to not only approve the current proposal, but also to create a streamlined approval process that will speed up the applications for late-night activities.