House Reps Review BAT

Representatives from undergraduate house committees are asking the University to implement a method for evaluating members of the Beverage Authority Team (BAT), which is run by the College, and to require most training of BAT members.

BAT members are responsible for checking I.D.'s, mixing drinks and supervising the distribution of alcohol. College rules require BAT members--graduate students trained in Massachusetts alcohol law--to supervise all on-campus events where alcohol is served.

At a meeting last month with Dean of Student Archie C. Epps III and Kirkland House Tutor Nadia Shalaby, the head of the BAT, the house committee members also discussed theoption of hiring less expensive bartenders fromHarvard Student Agencies (HSA) or from outsideservices.

Students say that at the Eliot House SpringFete BAT members were mixing drinks that made somestudents sick. Dean Epps says there have beenreports of "students who were obviously drunkbeing given still more to drink [by the BATteam]."

Eliot House committee co-chair Vincent P.Fiorino '95 also said yesterday that the behaviorof the BAT at the Eliot House Valentine's Daydance was unprofessional.

"There were BAT team members drinking," Fiorinosaid. "One just left his mixed drink station, sopeople went behind the bar to make their owndrinks."

BAT members who did not know how to tap kegs"accused kegs of being defective" and toldstudents "that they were out of beer when therewas a keg and a half left," Fiorino said.

Fiorino and Eliot House committee co-chairAllison I. Rossi '95 both said that complicationsof this sort make things difficult for peoplerunning house events.

"If we are paying for a service, we want thebest service possible," Rossi said.

Mistakes on the part of the BAT also mean thathouse officials have to supervise social eventsthemselves, Fiorino said. "Tutors and masters haveto keep an eye on things just because the BATmembers are out of control themselves," he said.

The house committee representatives areconcerned with this issue because the amount ofadditional supervision given by tutors and mastersdiffers from house to house, Fiorino said.

But Rossi said the purpose of the housecommittee representatives' efforts is primarily toimprove BAT, not eliminate it. There will be moremeetings to try to implement the changes, shesaid.

Former manager of HSA Catering Laura A. Cooley'94 said yesterday that HSA bartenders are aviable option.

HSA bartenders must take a full course inbartending and obtain certification in the legalaspects of bartending, Cooley said. Also, sincemany HSA bartenders are graduate students, theywould be able to serve undergraduates withoutsuccumbing to peer pressure.

But not everyone is complaining about BAT.Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57 saidthat BAT member supervision has worked"exceptionally well" and that he has seen noproblems and heard no complaints from his studentsabout them

Students say that at the Eliot House SpringFete BAT members were mixing drinks that made somestudents sick. Dean Epps says there have beenreports of "students who were obviously drunkbeing given still more to drink [by the BATteam]."

Eliot House committee co-chair Vincent P.Fiorino '95 also said yesterday that the behaviorof the BAT at the Eliot House Valentine's Daydance was unprofessional.

"There were BAT team members drinking," Fiorinosaid. "One just left his mixed drink station, sopeople went behind the bar to make their owndrinks."

BAT members who did not know how to tap kegs"accused kegs of being defective" and toldstudents "that they were out of beer when therewas a keg and a half left," Fiorino said.

Fiorino and Eliot House committee co-chairAllison I. Rossi '95 both said that complicationsof this sort make things difficult for peoplerunning house events.

"If we are paying for a service, we want thebest service possible," Rossi said.

Mistakes on the part of the BAT also mean thathouse officials have to supervise social eventsthemselves, Fiorino said. "Tutors and masters haveto keep an eye on things just because the BATmembers are out of control themselves," he said.

The house committee representatives areconcerned with this issue because the amount ofadditional supervision given by tutors and mastersdiffers from house to house, Fiorino said.

But Rossi said the purpose of the housecommittee representatives' efforts is primarily toimprove BAT, not eliminate it. There will be moremeetings to try to implement the changes, shesaid.

Former manager of HSA Catering Laura A. Cooley'94 said yesterday that HSA bartenders are aviable option.

HSA bartenders must take a full course inbartending and obtain certification in the legalaspects of bartending, Cooley said. Also, sincemany HSA bartenders are graduate students, theywould be able to serve undergraduates withoutsuccumbing to peer pressure.

But not everyone is complaining about BAT.Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57 saidthat BAT member supervision has worked"exceptionally well" and that he has seen noproblems and heard no complaints from his studentsabout them