Alcohol Rule Angers Q-House Students

Two Quincy House student officers charged yesterday that Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, has singled out their House for unusually strict enforcement of College regulations on alcohol use, apparently because Quincy has a new master unfamiliar with past practices at House parties.

Epps denied Quincy an alcohol permit last week for a Halloween party scheduled for the House dining hall and open to all Harvard undergraduates, citing three-year-old College rules forbidding alcohol at public parties open to students who are not House residents or special guests.

Since then, Quincy has called off the bash because student officials felt there was "no way we could compete" with other Houses whose public parties will have alcohol, Stephen J. Nicholas '82, chairman of the House's social committee, said yesterday.

The House has also cancelled plans with "Hypertension," an "excellent punk band," because an alcohol-free party would not draw enough students to pay the $600 fee charged by the band, Nicholas said. He added that the House "might never be able to get" the band again.

Nicholas and Art O'Keefe '82, chairman of the House committee, said yesterday they are considering protesting the permit denial to Epps. The dean of students "is treating us like kids" in enforcing alcohol rules "to a tee" at Quincy, Nicholas said.

Epps declined to comment on the incident yesterday, saying he does not "really want to add to what I've said on alcohol policy--the regulations are very clear." But he added that he is unaware of any recent violations of alcohol regulations at other Houses.

In what he called an effort to insure that all Houses enforced drinking codes, Epps last month sent all masters copies of the College's drinking regulations. He said then he was aware of only one violation since the alcohol rules took effect three years ago.

Booze Cruise

Nicholas, however, said he told Epps after the dean denied him the permit that alcohol is often served to non-residents at parties thrown by other Houses. Nicholas said Epps replied that "he was going to crack down" on violating Houses.

"If you look over the past couple of weekends, you could find a couple of very large parties where the rule was not en- forced," O'Keefe said, adding that though he understands Epps' concern, the dean "may be a bit overdoing it" by following "the letter of the law" at Quincy and ignoring "aberrations from the rule" elsewhere.

"I'm sure you'll see [violations] in other Houses this Halloween," Nicholas said. He added that he will attend a Friday night party in a student suite at Quincy, where alcohol is permitted under College rules, and probably attend another House's party Saturday night.

Nicholas said he believes Epps denied the permit because he wants to impress the need to "follow rules" upon Quincy's new master, David A. Aloian '49.

"They're watching [Aloian] very carefully," Nicholas said, adding that the new master is "not out to get us--he's just following the rules" laid down by Epps.

Aloian said yesterday he "hadn't heard anything about any requests for the serving of alcohol" at Quincy, adding that he learned of the party's cancellation yesterday. "I've just heard the students decided not to have a party--they didn't tell me why," he added.

Though he said he has heard "all kinds of rumors" that other Houses serve alcohol to residents of other Houses who are not special guests, Aloian said he knows of no incidents elsewhere