Later Party Proposal Clears Hurdle

Pending approval by the City Council, alcohol-free parties in Houses can now run until 2 a.m., the Cambridge License Commission ruled last night.

The commission unanimously approved the proposal, which will be voted on by the council tomorrow morning.

With the license commission’s approval, the measure will likely gain the City Council’s support, said Brian R. Smith ’02, the author of the original report last spring proposing later party hours.

“[License Commission Chair Benjamin C.] Barns and the committee supports this, and my impression is that the council will value their endorsement,” Smith said.

The commission generally awards entertainment licenses on a case-by-case basis, but ruled last night to grant approval in advance for a full semester of later parties at Harvard.

Two Undergraduate Council representatives—Smith and council President Paul A. Gusmorino ’02—joined Coordinator of Student Activities Susan T. Cooke in presenting the case for later party hours to the three-member license commission.

Members of the commission expressed support for Harvard providing safe, late-night options for students.

“We don’t want students going out and binge-drinking,” Barns said.

Barns said the license commission is actively promoting alcohol-free activities for college students around Cambridge.

“Giving college students options that don’t involve alcohol is a big reason why they look favorably upon this proposal,” Smith said.

Commission members also asked about student support for the proposal, and whether the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) was prepared to handle later campus parties.

Smith was well-prepared for the commission’s questions.

“We contacted the Harvard public relations office about noise, and Chairman Barns also gave us information,” Smith said. “We knew ahead of time that there were no [noise concerns] around the dining halls.”

Supporters of the proposal said HUPD has been supportive of later parties.

“If this is passed, HUPD is ready,” Cooke said. “[Later party hours has] very positive support from Masters to deans to undergraduate leaders and HUPD,” she said after the meeting.

Smith assured the commission that according to a council survey conducted last year, 85 percent of students are awake past 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

“It’s something that students are very, very eager to try out this spring,” Gusmorino said.

While in the past Cambridge residents have tried to tame noise at Harvard, the dining halls are removed from residential areas.

Cambridge residents sent three letters to the commission urging that late parties not be allowed near the Fogg Art Museum or in the vicinity of Prescott Street due to noise concerns. Since no House dining halls are located in those areas, the commission ruled the letters irrelevant.

Barns invited audience opposition to the proposal, but none was offered.

Council presidential candidate Sujean S. Lee ’03, her running mate Anne M. Fernandez ’03 and Student Activities Committee Chair Rohit Chopra ’04 also attended the meeting, although they did not sit on the panel representing the proposal before the commission.

Both Lee and Chopra have been active since last spring in selling the proposal to college administrators, deans and House masters.

“If the City Council passes this, it will be the culmination of a lot of hard work for us,” Lee said.

—Staff writer William M. Rasmussen can be reached at wrasmuss@fas.harvard.edu.