Selection for a Harvard Women's "Final Club" (Isis)

[exlurker]

The Crimson has the story about the selection process / criteria for one of the "final clubs" for women at Harvard -- the Isis. The club's "punch book" -- comments about potential members as well as other remarks-- was, it turns out, available online to nonmembers.

Hey, IvySpice (or others), please correct / chastise me if I'm wrong, but aren't the clubs like Isis and the Bee considered more socially "exclusive" than the three NPC sororities there (Theta, DG and Kappa)?

At any rate, the paper's article does reinforce what should be common sense: keep private materials and comments private.

Article:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=509327

[exlurker]

The Crimson also has an editorial on the "Isis Crisis," with remarks about snobbishness, the elite social scene, and so on:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=509316

[IvySpice]

>aren't the clubs like Isis and the Bee considered more socially "exclusive" than the three NPC sororities there (Theta, DG and Kappa)?

Yes, they are. Well, more exclusive than two of the three NPCs, anyway. For one thing, anyone can show up to NPC rush. It doesn't mean you'll get in, but you can meet the members and make a case for yourself. At male and female final clubs, you have to be invited to punch. So if you don't know the right people in the first place, you aren't even going to get your foot in the door. However, there is overlapping membership between the clubs and the sororities.

I agree with the substance of the Crimson article, except that I think it overstates the situation. This clubby social scene involves maybe ten percent of the undergrads. The vast majority of Harvard students go about their social lives without even being aware of this final club brouhaha, much less on the outside looking sadly in or whatever you'd imagine based on that editorial.

[PenguinTrax]

What do you mean by "invited to punch"? Is that an invite to attend a membership event or what?

[WCUgirl]

The second article reeks of bitterness. At least, that's the impression I get when reading it.

[33girl]

Originally posted by AXiD670
The second article reeks of bitterness. At least, that's the impression I get when reading it.

Can you post it? The link isn't showing me the story.

[WCUgirl]

The Isis Crisis

The exposure of the club’s punch book displays the elitist nature of the final club scene

Published On Monday, October 24, 2005 3:24 AM

By THE CRIMSON STAFF

An inescapable facet of Harvard undergraduate life is the oft-ridiculed, yet ever-alluring world of final clubs. Though no longer endorsed by the College, these select institutions still dominate, in the view of many, much of Harvard’s social life, and in doing so perpetuate artificial social distinctions and gender inequality.

Last week, it was discovered that the “punch book” of the Isis Club, a female final club, was accessible in the public domain, and, predictably, many curious Harvard students accessed this sensitive information. A punch book contains comments about every current “punch” (the students who wish to join the club) and, as one could imagine, the comments are rarely based on any sort of merit. The Isis’ book is rife with vapid and positive evaluations, as well as harsh critiques based on punches’ accessories, shrill vocal tones, social faux pas, and dating infidelities.

Those even tangentially aware of the punch process understand that by walking into a punch event students are subjecting themselves to withering social scrutiny. The arbitrary judgments are generally based on a two-minute introduction to a current member, who knows that he or she is in a position of power. Based on little more information than a name, House, and concentration—and a guess as to their socioeconomic status—current members must make a decision on a punch’s worthiness by the next “cut meeting.”

Given that they know that they are playing a precarious popularity game—one that is undeniably based on social, economic, or otherwise arbitrary standards—why do hundreds of students subject themselves to such capricious, often humiliating, selection processes?

Final clubs—male and female—are immensely attractive because they embody the wealth and prestige of gentleman’s Harvard, its (historically white and male) elitism. In addition to the promise of generous post-graduate alumni connections and a sense of belonging on this sometimes isolating campus, these social clubs offer spacious settings for social events. Students seek refuge in final clubs and other exclusive social organizations where they are granted space, conveniently in the form of mansions.

Partially as a result of this sorry state of affairs, final clubs are able to perpetuate clichéd social distinctions and concentrate influence over Harvard’s social life in the hands of a small number of (male) hands. Even when a female club has an event, it is almost always hosted by a male social club. For example, when Isis members held a meeting Friday night at which the issue of the e-mails was discussed, they gathered at the Fox, an all-male final club.

Yet, even if we did witness an increase in allocated student space, it is doubtful that these bastions of snobbery would disappear. As long as people want to get in, final clubs will maintain their air of exclusivity and, therefore, their perceived place atop Harvard’s social hierarchy. The burden of erasing this unfounded distinction and undermining this skewed power dynamic rests with Harvard students—only if we stop treating the clubs as prestigious, stop eagerly waiting outside their doors, and stop anxiously punching, will the clubs cease to dominate the College’s social landscape.

Ultimately, the punch process brings out the worst in everyone involved—punches desperate for acceptance, snide insiders gossiping about dating infidelities, and gleeful critics seizing on any opportunity to condemn the clubs. And after the punch process is over, those who did not get in can bitterly rage against the institution while those who did sit smugly satisfied, confirmed in their sense of superiority.

In short, the Isis punch book has simply confirmed what we already knew about the unfortunate nature of Harvard’s elite social scene. It is certainly regrettable that the current Isis punch members are serving as the casualties of that which is endemic to the final club scene at large. But this tangible piece of snootiness serves as a reminder that these clubs institutionalize a brand of distinction that is altogether unimpressive.

[IvySpice]

What do you mean by "invited to punch"? Is that an invite to attend a membership event or what?

The word "punch" means "to rush," "rushee," and "the rush process." All membership events are invitation-only, so you have to be "invited to punch."

[RedRoseSAI]

I feel bad for Isis - how horrible to have your organization's secrets out in the open. Just goes to show, e-mail is not secure.

[AXWhoah]

Well, why are they sending them out over email anyway....that just seems weird to me, and definately a way for things you say about a pnm to get leaked to the general public. And I'm not even sure what the point of these finals clubs are....I mean why not join an NPC sorority (which is a lot older than either of those clubs) and you're gonna have a lot more alumni to network with. I mean the one was only started in 2000? How many alumni in high positions could they have...that was just 5 years ago...

[RedRoseSAI]

Originally posted by AXWhoah
I mean why not join an NPC sorority

Maybe they didn't want to.

[_Q_]

Originally posted by RedRoseSAI
I feel bad for Isis - how horrible to have your organization's secrets out in the open. Just goes to show, e-mail is not secure.

Yeah, but it's sort of interesting that it never occurred to anyone in Isis that the mailing list was archived publicly. Often with this kind of mailing list, there's a URL at the bottom of each message with the archive location. But at any rate, sending stuff like this to any mailing list seems really dumb.

[33girl]

Originally posted by AXWhoah
And I'm not even sure what the point of these finals clubs are....I mean why not join an NPC sorority (which is a lot older than either of those clubs) and you're gonna have a lot more alumni to network with. I mean the one was only started in 2000? How many alumni in high positions could they have...that was just 5 years ago...

This is Harvard (which is way older than any NPC group). The connections they make through Harvard are probably more important and will get them further than those they will make through a sorority.

Plus, you can belong to a finals club and an NPC at the same time.

[Denise_DPhiE]

Why is everyone's panties in a bundle? Replace ""rushee/PNM" where ir says "punch" and "sorority" with finals club" and you get EVERY college papers view on recruitment and greek life. Big deal! NEXT???

[RedRoseSAI]

Originally posted by _Q_
Yeah, but it's sort of interesting that it never occurred to anyone in Isis that the mailing list was archived publicly. Often with this kind of mailing list, there's a URL at the bottom of each message with the archive location. But at any rate, sending stuff like this to any mailing list seems really dumb.

Agreed. Still, I feel bad for them.