In light of charges filed last week against The Tabard coed fraternity, student leaders will continue to test the recommendations made by the Student and Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee last month. Tabard was charged with serving alcohol to underage individuals on two separate occasions, following recent efforts by students and College administrators to reduce drinking-related risks and student misconduct associated with alcohol consumption on campus.
The College will not provide legal counsel for Tabard because the organization is a separate institution from Dartmouth, according to Bob Donin, the College's general legal counsel.
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Nathan Miller said he could not comment on any ongoing College investigation related to Tabard because the information is private. He added that he has "not had the opportunity" to review any of the allegations against Tabard.
Administrators in the Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Office will determine any College-enforced repercussions for Tabard after they gather "as much information as possible," Miller said.
The timing of the charges filed against Tabard is "unfortunate" because the charges follow the publication of SPAHRC's recommendations, Student Body President Eric Tanner '11 said.
"It would be my hope that some of SPAHRC's findings would cut down on the risk that some of these charges [will be filed] in the future." Tanner said. "It's unfortunate that houses weren't given any real time to prove to the [Hanover] Police Department that they were striving toward changes."
As part of its committee restructuring, Student Assembly recently created an "alcohol harm reduction committee" that will begin official meetings and assume SPAHRC's responsibilities in the Fall, Tanner said.
The charges against Tabard come after it and five other Greek organizations were previously investigated by Hanover Police for serving alcohol to underage individuals. Police suspended the cases pending efforts by College administrators and Greek officials to address concerns about student alcohol consumption at the College. Leaders of these six organizations were informed that their organizations would be prosecuted for the suspended charges and any future charges if they fail to comply with liquor laws in the future.
The suspension of the charges did not mean permanently "stopping the filing of charges," Grafton County Attorney Lara Saffo said. Saffo is in charge of prosecuting any felony-level crimes committed in Hanover.
"We are trying to work very hard with everybody, [and] at the same time enforcing the law, which is our obligation," Saffo said. "And obviously we are working hard to help initiatives to change what is considered to be a drinking culture."
Students and leaders of campus organizations care about SPAHRC's report and are trying to implement "as many [of the recommendations] that are feasible as possible," Tanner said.
Student self-policing of alcohol consumption, however, is likely not feasible, Tanner said. The SPAHRC report recommended that Greek organizations have members consistently stationed at the physical plants' doors to prevent overly-inebriated students from entering the physical plants. It also included suggestions for the creation of student monitors that would visit Greek organizations during weekend parties, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Saffo said she is "a little bit concerned" about the student self-policing policies suggested by SPAHRC for "obvious reasons."
"If students believe it's OK for them to be drinking [while monitoring alcohol consumption], then probably they're the wrong people to monitor whether people are drinking illegally," Saffo said.
Saffo added that she believes student self-monitoring is an essential element of addressing alcohol consumption at the College, although it cannot replace the responsibilities of local law enforcement officials.
"We're told to enforce the laws, and that's not something we can delegate," she said. "At the same time, should students be self-monitoring? Of course."
SPAHRC student co-chair William Schpero '10 defended the feasibility of the student-led initiatives in an interview.
"We are still discussing with the administration whether this is something we want to move forward with," Schpero said. "If we do, we will definitely be engaging in dialogue with other student groups about the best way to proceed."
The student self-monitoring policies suggested by SPAHRC are distinct from police responsibilities, Schpero said.
"[SPAHRC's] effort focuses on promoting harm reduction and encouraging moderate drinking behavior," he said. "We are not looking to delegate the responsibility of law enforcement to students."
Saffo said that she is "encouraged" by the increased focus on harm reduction and efforts to alleviate other concerns related to alcohol consumption.
SPAHRC was formed in mid-February in response to the campus-wide discussion of College alcohol policy. Concern stemmed from the Hanover Police's Feb. 4 announcement to enact "compliance checks" at Greek organizations to ensure underage students were not receiving alcoholic beverages. Hanover Police officials announced on Feb. 11 that they would delay implementing compliance checks.
Saffo said she hopes to see "concrete results" in the near future and thinks that "a lot can be done" over the summer.
"I think the core [campus organizations] can continue to work on all of these initiatives," Saffo said.
Saffo said she hopes to see a decrease in alcohol overconsumption, a decrease in alcohol consumption by underage students and an increase in alcohol-free recreational activities on campus.
"Students have to come up with things they want to do," she said. "[New recreational activities] really have to come from the student body, I think."
Saffo said she also hopes to see increased student cooperation with law enforcement officials, which she believes can be achieved through improved communication between students and police.
A strong correlation exists between alcohol consumption and sexual assault on college campuses, Saffo said, which is another reason she hopes to see alcohol policy reformed at the College.
Throughout the Summer term, students and administrators will implement the first round of changes to College alcohol policies suggested by SPAHRC, Tanner said.
Students and campus administrators have already begun efforts to revamp alcohol education programs during orientation for incoming students, according to Tanner and SPAHRC student co-chair Max Yoeli '12.
"I think the [SPAHRC] recommendations that require our most immediate attention are the ones geared at education and prevention for the incoming [Class of 2014]," Yoeli said.
Schpero is a former member of The Dartmouth Senior Staff.
