By James Demetriades

On Sept. 10, I was greeted by an “Invitation to the Homecoming Tent for the Graduating Class.” As a senior I was eager to read the invitation, yet I was dismayed to learn that the invitation only applied to those members of our class who are 21 years of age.

The invitation repeats the age restriction not once but twice, reminding younger students of the Class of 2015 of their exclusion from an event the rest of their classmates can otherwise enjoy.

The invitation is extended to alumni and graduating class members. In addition to alcoholic refreshments, it also features music and a barbecue. Students like me who are underage cannot enjoy the food and the music before the game. Other senior friends of mine, whose parents are alumni, were not able to enter the tent event with their parents because they were underage.  This separation from our own class represents a huge source of discontent from the student body. James Polke, FCRH `15, said, “It was particularly frustrating to not be able to join my roommates and friends under the tent. I was not interested in drinking, but just sharing time with friends.”

The major problem I find with the exclusion is the score of other events on campus where alcohol is served to students of age, within the same facility where underage students are located. Examples of this include the annual “Under the Tent Dance,” where a separated section features drinks for those students of age while allowing everyone to enjoy the music and food.  Another excellent example is the Annual Greek Dance where parents and students of age can get alcohol from an open bar, and where no notable separation exists. The bartenders simply ask for student and parent IDs twice. When you enter the facility for the Greek Dance, you receive a drink bracelet if the event staff verifies you are of age, and again when you are at the bar.

One possible explanation is that it is campus policy to restrict the exposure of minors to alcohol, yet the Greek Dance, as well as many senior nights, demonstrate opportunities where students of various ages are in the same room.

The fact that the Office of Student Leadership and Development put on numerous Senior Nights where underage students can be in the presence of alcohol demonstrates an exception to the policy.

Another explanation is that Sterling, the caterer, does not allow underage individuals to be in the presence of alcohol.  Sterling is a national catering company that caters private parties and weddings. At these events, however, they card at the bar and no doubt the vast majority of these events have guests of many ages, legal drinking age and not.

New York City legalities do not allow those under 21 into bars, yet they are allowed in restaurants or pubs where alcohol is served. This begs the question: what is the classification of the Homecoming Tent? Is it an alumni buffet with some beverages, or a homecoming bar? If it does present itself as a mixed food and drink service location, then there is no feasible reason that students of the senior class should be denied buffet service at the tent if they pay their entrance fee.

There are clear on-campus precedents which allow underage students to be in the presence of alcohol and the exclusion of seniors from these events is an insult to the trust the school places in us. Seniors have worked three years to enjoy their last homecoming with their classmates and should be given that opportunity.

James Demetriades, FCRH ’15, is a history and political science major from Cromwell, Connecticut.