University officials are scrambling to strike a deal with local and state authorities to resolve the legal issues surrounding the three remaining pub nights at Chancellor Green Cafe, after the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control sent a letter to the University on Tuesday prohibiting the distribution of alcohol at the upcoming events.
"There was a meeting today; it was very productive. We remain hopeful that the remaining three pub nights will take place," University communications director Lauren Robinson-Brown '85 said Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear what parties attended the meeting, which was convened in response to the letter from an attorney at the state Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) division.
"Princeton University may not sell, serve or deliver alcoholic beverages at the Chancellor Green Cafe" at the three remaining pub nights, reads the letter, which was made public in a Wednesday piece by The Times of Trenton.
The first pub night was held April 14. Only adults over the age of 21 could enter the event, which required a Princeton University ID and a second, government-issued ID for admission.
The next three events are planned for April 28, May 12 and May 19.
The crux of ABC and Princeton Borough's concerns, according to the Times, is not underage drinking but the University's intention to use the pub nights to gauge demand for a permanent campus bar, as reported in The Daily Princetonian earlier this week.
Sandy Gibson '06, a Pub Committee member and student head of the pub nights, described the hitch as disappointing.
"It's extremely unfortunate because we had such a great turnout [at the first pub night], with a huge representation of faculty, graduate students and undergraduates," Gibson said.
He added that the event attracted a significant number of postdoctoral students, who are sometimes excluded from social life on and off campus.
"All these parts of the campus community that don't normally interact were brought together," Gibson said.
"We are creating an environment where people who are of age can drink responsibly," he added. "It's stunning that anyone would think that stopping a safe and legal environment for drinking would solve any problem that the Borough perceives."
Related
— Pub opens in Chancellor Green (April 17, 2006) — Review: Bar offers good prices on beer; worthy alternative to Street (April 17, 2006)