Nora Lawrence Shock G lays entertains briefly at Harwood Halloween before the party was shut down by CPD. It was the 4th year in a row that the party had been cut short. Many students waited in line for hours to get into the event.

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For the fourth straight year, Harwood Halloween was shut down early due to noise complaints from Claremont residents.

The annual event, which this year hosted Digital Underground, was broken up before midnight by the Claremont Police Department, leaving students disenchanted with both CPD and Claremont residents.

In Claremont, when a noise complaint has been called in, CPD issues a warning, asking those responsible for the noise to lower the volume. If the responsible parties do not comply, CPD must shut down the disturbance after three complaints have been called in. Dean of Students Ann Quinley said of noise complaints, "It isn’t about how loud you are; it’s if you’re disturbing the peace. The way I understand it, if you’re whispering in a dorm room, and I hear it and complain about it, that’s a noise complaint."

Noise complaints from Claremont residents seem strange to both Pomona’s students and administration. President Peter Stanley, who lives on College Ave, has trouble understanding how the party could have disturbed the local residents.

"My house is closer to the party than anybody who called in," Stanley said. "I’ve talked to faculty members [who live in the area], and they didn’t find the noise offensive at all."

Stanely himself received several calls that night, one of which was especially explicit.

"I find it hard to believe that many people were being kept awake by the noise," Stanely said, "especially residents living on seventh street and several blocks down. That’s where the abusive call came from."

The first noise complaint was reported shortly after 10:00, after which CPD first advised Pomona to lessen the noise. The second call came in half an hour later, and the third call, which led to the shut-down of the party, was made before midnight.

Students and administration are questioning the future of Harwood Halloween. "Something has to change," said Quinley.

One suggestion Quinley offered before this year’s party involves two venues for the much anticipated event.

"I said to CCLA [C) that the alcohol part of the event should be at Harwood, and the band and party at Smith [Campus Center]," Quinley said after the disappointing evening. "That would eliminate the noice complaints."

Associate Dean of Students and Director of Smith Campus Center Neil Gerard puts the responsibility of Harwood’s future on CCLA and Harwood residents.

"They own it," Gerard explained. "With the guidance of myself, Dean Quinley, [Coordinator of Student Activities] Angela [Crisp-Sears] and [Assistant Director of Smith Campus Center] David [Swenson], they need to come up with something, and do it soon."

"It just can’t happen there anymore," said Robin Jensen ’01, citing the recent history of the party. "It won’t work at Harwood."

Gerard feels that a Harwood Halloween following patterns of the past is not worth the trouble.

"I can say that we have enough experience doing [Harwood Halloween] that we don’t do ourselves any favors. We anger our students, and we anger our community.

"We need to think about the type of act we bring in, the venue, the hours," Gerard continued. "All of that needs to be considered and discussed. It’s a waste of CCLA and student dollars if we hire a band and they don’t get to play."

The organization of Harwood Halloween left many students bitter about the party itself.

Nina Lang ’03 was so upset about having to wait in line for over an hour that she left the party early and returned to her room to vent her frustration.

"I thought to myself,waiting in line, ‘There’s no way I’m not going to be disappointed after this,’" Lang said.

That sentiment has been echoed around campus.

Timothy McEvoy ’02 refused to attend the party, anticipating what lay ahead for those who did.

"It made no sense stay in line for so long, and just end up getting kicked out anyway," McEvoy said. "A little more organization, especially with the line and pre-sale tickets would definitely help."

When the party was officially shut down by CPD, students came together in a chant of, "Fuck CPD!" Since that night, many Pomona students have questioned the officers’ actions. Gerard, however, thinks that the officers were only doing their job.

"They’re good people," Gerard said. "They don’t want to be here dealing with noise complaints. They want to be police officers. They never even came into the party. They were out meeting with all of us [Deans and Campus Center Directors] for over two hours. My opinion is that the band wasn’t cooperative. When we were warned the second time about the noise level, the band said, ‘If you turn the volume down, we will walk offstage.’"

Pitzer holds an event similar to Harwood Halloween. The event, known as Kahoutek, has been the subject of conversation among Pomona students.

Allegedly, Pitzer acquires a permit allowing them to keep the party running, despite noise complaints, as long as they hold the noise below a decibal level agreed upon beforehand. According to Gerard, no such permit exists.

"In my seven years here, I’ve never heard of such a permit," Gerard said. "I’d be more than happy to pay for it if we find one."

According to Sargeant Paul Davenport of CPD, however, such a permit exists. The permit allows amplified noise to cross over into residential zones, which is otherwise a violation of Claremont law. "There may be restrictions under a permit, but they’re definitely less than without it," Davenport stated.