CMC to Reconsider Alcohol Policy

The Princeton Review has ranked Claremont McKenna College among the top ten schools in the nation not only in the “School Runs like Butter” and “Best Career Services” categories, but also in the “Lots of Beer” category. This year, however, an administrative task force will reconsider CMC’s alcohol policy.In addition to this ranking, other factors that led to the creation of this task force include the way students have treated lounges near CMC’s North Quad, the prevalence of broken glass on the ground, and the number of “Beirut” tables seen around campus.“It’s easy to create a party school; it’s incredibly difficult to be known as an intellectual community,” said Jeff Huang, vice president of Student Affairs. “That’s not to say that it’s an all-or-nothing situation. We’re looking for the right spot.”Who will compose the task force and what policy changes it will make remain unclear. The committee will investigate a variety of factors, including the possibility of a drop in applications and the potential safety risks of “going dry.”“Making CMC ‘dry’ might mean exactly the same amount of drinking, except that the drinking would be secretive,” said recently-elected Freshman Class President Aditya Pai. “That would reduce the likelihood of reporting and preventing harmful alcohol-related incidents and make everyone less safe.”