Yard Party Ends In 'Hellish' Bust

A Dante-esque Friday night party in the F-entryway of Canaday Hall may lead to Administrative Board proceedings for several students, Canaday residents said yesterday.

The party, which students called "an annual tradition" in Canaday, featured levels of "heaven," "hell," and "purgatory," with representative drinks and decorations adorning each level, students at the party said.

A Canaday F-entry resident who was at the party said between 200 and 300 students and pre-frosh were in the entry during the party's peak. "There were throngs and throngs of people outside," the resident said.

Harvard police responded to a report of a "loud party" at approximately 11 p.m., officials said yesterday. They would not comment further on the incident.

But Joseph G. Sansone '96 and other Canaday residents who attended the party said the situation was under control at all times and was well-managed.

"We took a number of precautions," Sansone said. "This was not an out of control situation." Party hosts watered-down drinks and restricted the number of students permitted inside, he said.

Pre-frosh who attended the party had their hands "meticulously" marked at the door with a "P" and were not served alcohol, the Canaday F resident said.

The party involved rooms on the first, third, and fourth floor of the dorm, Sansone said. Fire-red paper and lights adorned the walls of "hell," question-marks and arrows covered the walls of "purgatory" and clouds filled "heaven," he said.

Lynn Ramey, a proctor in the F-entry, said it was too early to know whether students in the entry would face disciplinary charges for hosting the party. Ramey would not comment further on the incident.

Canaday residents said police arrived on the scene when eager party-goers first began to line-up outside the entry. "There was a line from Canaday F entry to Canaday A," said a student who was at the party.

While students said the entry was "full," they added that stairways and exits were unobstructed and accessible at all times.

"Because students were doing such a good job of keeping the thing under control," the police were alerted, Sansone said. By limiting the numbers of those inside, police cut short "what could have been one of the best parties of the year," he said.

Police kicked open doors and cleared off a bar with a night-stick, students said. "It was like they were busting into a crack-house. And I think one of them had riot gear on," one Canaday F resident who was at the party said.

"They're incredibly hard on cracking down on this stuff," said Sansone, an F-Entry resident who was at the party. "There were about 30 people involved [throwing the party] and there's a good chance that all of us will be ad-boarded. It's really a shame."

"But I guess it's fair that we got caught," another Canaday F resident said. "We were serving alcohol, we were drinking.

While students said the entry was "full," they added that stairways and exits were unobstructed and accessible at all times.

"Because students were doing such a good job of keeping the thing under control," the police were alerted, Sansone said. By limiting the numbers of those inside, police cut short "what could have been one of the best parties of the year," he said.

Police kicked open doors and cleared off a bar with a night-stick, students said. "It was like they were busting into a crack-house. And I think one of them had riot gear on," one Canaday F resident who was at the party said.

"They're incredibly hard on cracking down on this stuff," said Sansone, an F-Entry resident who was at the party. "There were about 30 people involved [throwing the party] and there's a good chance that all of us will be ad-boarded. It's really a shame."

"But I guess it's fair that we got caught," another Canaday F resident said. "We were serving alcohol, we were drinking.