If the Student Assembly's latest campaign has its way, the College's keg policy will be flushed down the drain.
A short promotional video on the Assembly's website showed that beer can be poured faster from cans than it can from kegs, in an effort to change the College's alcohol policies.
The video, asking, "Which pours faster?" contrasts via split screen the time a group of hands pour beer from a keg against that of another person pouring from a can. As the video only reveals the arms and hands of students, it is not clear where the video was shot or who was involved. After the can-pourer defeats the keg-pourers, the video calls on the College to "end pointless restrictions, end the bureaucracy, end the waste, end keg restrictions" and challenges viewers and students to "join the fight."
Student Assembly President Janos Marton '04 said the video shows that administrators need to find another reason for restricting kegs. According to Marton, College administrators cite health concerns from overconsumption as a reason for prohibiting kegs from all non-registered social events.
."The video is meant to spark some discussion about the budgets misconception about kegs, that they increase alcohol consumption," Marton said.
Dean of the College James Larimore, however, said the true misconception is that kegs are restricted much in the first place. He said that if one wants to serve beer from kegs at a social event, registration is an easy process.
Director of Dick's House Dr. Jack Turco admitted that there is no scientific evidence that kegs do increase the consumption of alcohol. But he also pointed out that there are many laws that are not scientifically proven.
"The theory is that low-cost, highly accessible forms of alcohol will lead to increased consumption," Turco said. "Kegs are a low-cost and highly accessible form of alcohol."
Kegs are significantly cheaper than 30-packs of beer. At $50 per half-barrel keg, there are 3.2 twelve-ounce servings per dollar. At $11.50 per 30-pack, there are 2.6 servings per dollar. With $50, one could buy 160 servings through a keg, but only 130 servings with cans.
Turco also said that kegs increase consumption because there is a desire "not to waste any good beer," requiring the keg to be kicked in one night.
Ralph Davies '05, vice president of student organizations and director of the video, in addition to echoing Marton's reasons for changing the regulations, also cited environmental concerns relating to the large amount of trash produced by empty or half-empty beer cans. He said that the College's keg policy is based on flimsy principles that also promote waste. Whatever the reason, Davies said his "main goal is focused on bringing kegs back."
Last summer, the Assembly lobbied for the same relaxing of keg restrictions but could not affect change before the end of the term. Davies said that another reason for the video's release at this time was his concern that the College would once again ignore students' wishes to allow more kegs on campus.
"We did this video because one of our major concerns is that the administration will just let this die," Davies said.
Despite the popularity of unofficial school mascot Keggy, the College's current alcohol policy states that social organizations, are required to register any event where 40 people or the number of members -- whichever is fewer -- will be present and alcohol will be served.
