Students Rally for Alcohol Reforms

Add alcohol to the list of things that will bring Georgetown’s student body together.

In perhaps the largest display of campus unity since Georgetown reached the NCAA Final Four in the spring, about 125 students — amidst tables holding games of root-beer pong and root-beer flip cup — called for further relaxation of the university’s alcohol policies last night in Healy Circle.

The protest, the latest in a series of calls by the student body to administrators since stricter regulations were passed last month, was led by members of the Facebook group “Work Hard, Play Hard: GU Students for Stopping the Madness,” which has amassed over 1,660 members since it was formed over three weeks ago. Some students at the rally carried posters with slogans including, “No more lying! Our social scene is dying!” and “RIP Georgetown Social Life: 1789-2007.”

Protestors raised four demands at the rally: amnesty for all Category A alcohol violations issued so far this academic year, a party registration deadline of 10 a.m. the day of the party, age-blind party registration and the creation of a working group of administrators and students to discuss the university’s party and alcohol policies.

“We intend to show the administration that we, the students of Georgetown united, mean business,” said Matt Stoller (COL ’08), one of the protest’s organizers.

The protest comes only a few weeks into a semester in which administrators have cracked down on partying and alcohol consumption in on-campus residences. In a series of announcements over the past several months, Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson has approved regulations reducing the number of kegs permitted in oresidences, limiting students at parties, moving forward the registration deadline for parties and restricting the use of beer-pong tables and other alcohol paraphernalia on campus.

After a wave of student backlash — including a petition signed by over 1,800 students in protest of the new regulations that was presented to administrators — Olson last week reduced the number of 21-year-old students required to host a party from two to one. Olson described the decision as a “direct result of student feedback.”

Matt Hammel (MSB ’10), one of the protest organizers, said the turn-out at the protest “could have been worse, could have been better.” Joseph Kemper (COL ’09), another protest organizer, said he was pleased with turnout at the protest, especially since it occurred on short notice. The protest was announced on Monday.

Stoller said he approved of the change made to the registration policy last week, but said the policy should be revised further.

Olson said the registration requirement “struck a lot of people as very restrictive,” and his goal is to achieve a balance that allows students to be able to socialize on campus while being safe and respectful.

He added that the Office of Student Affairs would be continuing the conversation about polices with student leaders and monitoring the issue of enforcement. He added, however, that he does not anticipate significant policy changes soon.

Olson was invited to the protest last night, but said he was not able to attend due to prior engagements.

Olson walked around campus last Friday night with GUSA leaders to observe the party scene on campus. Olson said it was a good walk-through and that he “saw some small parties with no real problems.” He said he plans to regularly take walks through campus on weekend nights.

Olson also said that late-night events have been successful this year and will continue.

He said InterHall will hold a town hall meeting on Oct. 3, during which he and student representatives will be present to discuss university policies.

Organizers of the Facebook group have recently been in contact with professors and alumni in order to help loosen the new regulations, Matt Rafferty (COL ’09), another of the group’s creators, said.

The group has also been in contact with members of the FRIENDS Initiative, an organization that lobbied during the 2003-2004 academic year for enhanced student collaboration in university decision-making at Georgetown. Hammel said organizers of the Facebook group would be speaking with former members of the FRIENDS Initiative, as well as other alumni, at Homecoming next weekend.