Many students ignored the e-mail sent by Dean Quinley stating that Pomona’s alcohol policy would now be enforced more strictly than it has been in the past. Unfortunately for those students, this increase in policy enforcement has indeed been enacted, and over the past two weeks many students have had to talk to Campus Security about carrying around an open container of alcohol. Some of them, in fact, have had their names sent directly to Dean Quinley as a result of this crackdown.

Pomona College’s alcohol policy states that no one under the age of 21 is allowed to consume alcohol on campus, and no one over the age of 21 is allowed to consume alcohol in public or carry an open container. In the past, this policy was not strongly enforced by Campus Safety. Recently, however, more Campus Safety officers have been sent to crack down on the amount of alcohol consumed in violation of Pomona’s policy. Dean of Students Ann Quinley said, in the past, the alcohol policy was not as high a priority, and thus the details of its enforcement were not a large issue. In recent months, however, concern has arisen due to a perceived increase in public intoxication. Incidents of alcohol poisoning have also been reported more frequently. The policy itself is in accordance with federal law, as the campus is not meant to be a "free zone" for illegal activities.

According to Dean Quinley, more officers have been directed to patrol Pomona’s "beat" than before in an attempt to force students to comply with Pomona’s policy, but no extra officers have been hired. Many students who were out on Friday and Saturday night these past two weeks noticed a definite increase in the number of officers about.

The punishments for violating this policy are not too severe at this point. Out of the fairly large number of students stopped for having an open container, only 21 names were actually sent to Dean Quinley, and for most the only consequence will be to talk to her about it, and perhaps get a warning. Quinley said that students are "only in the warning stage right now" but if the policy is ignored, fines and the J-Board proceedings could be used.

When asked if she believed that most students agree with Pomona’s alcohol policy, Quinley responded, "There are two camps, one critical of the extent that alcohol is made available…and the other desiring their freedom to drink as they please." However, she believes that it is important to develop an atmosphere of acceptance for all students at Pomona, and that no one should feel that they need to drink in order to participate in Pomona’s social life. She sees the policy as a way of "providing fences to prevent the dominance of alcohol at Pomona."

Alex Richard ’05 was caught with an open container of wine by Campus Security. He said that he was walking to south campus when spotted. He was asked to pour out his drink and show the officer his ID. At first he said that he didn’t have it, but the officer threatened to call the police if Richard didn’t show his ID. The officer took down his name and number and let him go. When asked how this incident would affect his drinking habits, he responded, "I am going to drink more in the dorms and try to use more concealable containers." Richard was with a friend who had alcohol in a water bottle. His friend put the bottle in his pocket to avoid a confrontation. "I understand the policy, but I think it’s a pain in the butt," Richard said.

Another student said that he witnessed an incident in Clark I where a group of students outside was broken up by Campus Safety, and anyone with a cup was asked to pour it out and give the officer their Ids, the student said. Some students went as far as to jump over a nearby wall to avoid getting written up. In general, it seems that if a student is cooperative, they won’t get in much trouble. Another student commented, "The school needs to come up with a more intelligent way to stop excessive drinking at Pomona." Many students seem to feel that the policy is ineffective, as students feel forced to finish the alcohol available at a party before they move anywhere else, thus encouraging more rapid consumption of alcohol. Dean Quinley feels that "most students should be fairly willing to respond" to this policy and has confidence that it will help decrease the excessive drinking at Pomona. The true effects of the policy will be shown in time, however, as it becomes more generally accepted around campus, she said.