Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Dean Braun emailed students this afternoon to announce that DAC (Dean’s Advisory Committee) had authorized a “pilot program” that would end the ban on late-night party permits in non-residential areas on weeknights. The email arrived Thursday at 1:00, or eleven hours before the Frats will open their doors to post-pubnite revelers.
Dean Braun’s decision earlier this year to enforce the ban was controversial, because the post-pubnite parties at the frats had been going on for years unimpeded by the administration. The Gazette issued an editorial in November, which called for the party ban to be lifted by the beginning of this semester.
Elan Silverblatt-Buser ’12, President of the senior class, had lobbied Braun to end the ban. He said, “We’re pleased that the administration could act so quickly to reverse the ban. It’s good to know that once again there’s a safe place for people to go after pubnite.”
In the email, Braun wrote, “DAC engaged in a series of thoughtful discussions and analysis of this issue from a variety of angles including student safety, community responsibility, the academic mission of the college, and overall student wellness. At our December meeting the group came to consensus on the decision to pilot a revised party permit policy allowing for parties to extend until 2:00 am on Thursdays. This will only apply to non-residential party spaces including Paces, Olde Club, Phi Psi, Delta Upsilon, and Upper Tarble. Registered parties taking place in residential spaces on Thursday nights will continue to have an end time of midnight. All Thursday night parties will be held to the college policies and procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook and the Party Permit form.”