Just before noon Feb. 28, Christopher D. Card, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, sent an email to the Hamilton Community addressing recent concerns about student behavior at Little Pub, particularly this past weekend.
Little Pub has seen a resurgence in popularity over the past year, which Card positively acknowledges, saying that he is “pleased to see that the Pub is, once again, an attractive social option for the campus,” especially as a place for “our community to regain some vibrancy in our social life that was lost during the pandemic period.” However, Card states this newfound popularity of Pub has “presented challenges that warrant notice to our students and a rethinking of our management of that space.”
He recounted instances of students not respecting the limited capacity numbers, instead pushing through staff in order to get inside of the space. Furthermore, the email noted an instance wherein a student “spat on a staff member when confronted for inappropriate conduct.” Students are also reported to have damaged Pub property by climbing through bathroom windows and having used “abusive and derogatory language” towards staff.
Moving forward, students will be required to swipe their Hill Card at the door entry to the Pub. Any guest must be accompanied by their Hamilton host and have a government-issued ID. The email states that cameras will be installed at Pub during spring break. Additionally, Little Pub plans to install more signage to serve as a reminder of the venue’s regulations.
The email notes that Little Pub’s capacity is limited to 180, and provides students who arrive when the venue is at capacity, to wait outside or return later if they wish to enter. Currently, Pub appears to have posted a piece of paper covering an older plaque that reads: “maximum occupancy must not exceed 180 persons.”
Card’s email follows a previous communication sent by Lucy Burke, Director of Procurement and Administrative Services, Feb. 14, regarding updates to the rules at Pub. Burke states that a wristband system will be implemented on Friday and Saturday nights. ID’s would be checked at the door and students who are of legal drinking age would be provided a wristband. The ID and wristband would be checked at the bar when purchasing an alcoholic beverage as well.
In an email sent on Feb. 22, Burke writes that the piloted use of wristbands the previous weekend would not be continued. However, she states that New York State Regulations require that the staff review two forms of ID prior to serving alcohol and this would be implemented immediately. A Hamilton College Pub ID would be accepted along with a valid NYS driver’s license, valid identification issued by the NY Department of Motor Vehicles, US military identification, or valid passport from the US government or other country.
Both emails emphasize that no outside alcoholic beverages are permitted in Pub, and students will be asked to leave if the team witnesses outside alcohol, underage consumption or students under 21 being given alcohol. Continued violations would likely result in “referral to the student conduct process and/or loss of the privilege to utilize the Pub.”
Some students were worried about the regulations impeding on their fun weekend activities. “Can’t people still show up drunk and be disruptive?” Teddy Slosberg ’24 asks.
Similarly, an anonymous sophomore told The Spectator, “It’s frustrating because it feels like the only place on campus that people who are not part of greek life or sports teams can have a fun night out and the school is trying to impose so many restrictions that have transformed it into the kind of environment that isn’t even enjoyable anymore.”
Little Pub first opened in February of 1996, as a “new social space on the Hamilton College campus, promoted by trustees as a part of the Residential Life Plan” that had been announced the previous spring. The space was initially advertised as including a dance floor, pool and foosball tables, electronic dartboard, large-screen television and fireplace.
