Bartending Policy Criticized

House committee leaders said yesterday that there are serious problems with the College's current system for regulating alcohol served at social events sponsored by the undergraduate houses.

For the last five years, College rules have required the Beverage Authority Team (BAT) to supervise all on-campus events involving alcohol. BAT members are graduate students trained in Massachusetts alcohol law.

House committee members interviewed yesterday said the team, poorly trained in mix master skills, stripped away elegance from social events when they performed bartending duties.

"The BAT team almost killed people at the (Eliot House) Fete with the drinks they were making," said Eliot House Committee Chair Gina V. Sanchez '94. "Some of the drinks they were serving were lethal."

"They don't know how to tap the kegs," said Kevin C. Fagan '94, the co-social chair for the Eliot House Committee.

But Kirkland House Tutor Nadia Shalaby, who organized BAT, said many members of the team were trained in mixing drinks.

"The organizers of the house committees are not experienced enough to stock the drinks properly," Shalaby said. "We have enough people who can serve mixed drinks well."

Another problem with BAT, students said, is that it has taken business away from student-run groups. Managers at Harvard Student Agencies said BAT takes away their bartending business for no good reason.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps said that Harvard Student Agencies was once able to serve alcohol at campus social events, but that there were problems. "We found that [the undergraduate bartenders] were not able to say no to their peers," Epps said.

But Laura A. Cooley '94, former manager of the catering division of Harvard Student Agencies, said BAT's monopoly is not an appropriate solution to this concern about undergraduate bartenders.

"There's no reason why HSA graduate students cannot serve," Cooley said.

Some students said they would like to avoid BAT. "We would prefer HSA," said Trey Grayson '94, chair of the Kirkland House Committee.

Enforcement of the rule requiring BAT presence has apparently been lax in the past few years.

At an Eliot banquet in honor of Evening With Champions last month, where three-fourths of those attending were undergraduates, alcohol was served by Harvard Student Agencies bartenders without BAT's presence, Sanchez said.

And Harvard Student Agencies does still sendbartenders to some events where alcohol is served.

"We send bartenders to Master's parties whereit is ambiguous whether they are servingundergraduates or not," said Jenifer S. Coleman'95, manager of Harvard Student Agencies catering.

Epps said BAT notified all houses of the rulerequiring its presence at social events involvingalcohol. But Sanchez said she was not aware of therule.

"I don't mind having a BAT team to check IDs,"said Sanchez, but she said house committees shouldbe allowed to choose the bartenders for socialevents.

Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57 saidhe supports BAT because it avoids liabilities forthe house in the event that a minor is servedalcohol.

Alcohol should not be served at formals at all,he added.

"When you have a house event, I think evenhaving alcohol is a problem," Dowling said.

Melissa M. Kwee '94, chair of the LeverettHouse Committee, said the BAT team was a requiredpresence at its social events. "We don't have muchchoice," she said

And Harvard Student Agencies does still sendbartenders to some events where alcohol is served.

"We send bartenders to Master's parties whereit is ambiguous whether they are servingundergraduates or not," said Jenifer S. Coleman'95, manager of Harvard Student Agencies catering.

Epps said BAT notified all houses of the rulerequiring its presence at social events involvingalcohol. But Sanchez said she was not aware of therule.

"I don't mind having a BAT team to check IDs,"said Sanchez, but she said house committees shouldbe allowed to choose the bartenders for socialevents.

Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57 saidhe supports BAT because it avoids liabilities forthe house in the event that a minor is servedalcohol.

Alcohol should not be served at formals at all,he added.

"When you have a house event, I think evenhaving alcohol is a problem," Dowling said.

Melissa M. Kwee '94, chair of the LeverettHouse Committee, said the BAT team was a requiredpresence at its social events. "We don't have muchchoice," she said