Fly Club Will Not Admit Women

The undergraduate members of the Fly club voted Sunday night not to punch women this fall, reversing last year's preliminary decision to income the first co-ed final club.

"This year's punching season will begin in early October and select the 158th class of Fly Club members. And, as it has been since 1836, they will all be male," said a club statement issued yesterday.

Last September, the undergraduate Fly members voted 28-0 with one abstention to admit women.

The club's graduate board voted to allow a co-ed punch, but not until this fall.

A number of members wanted to admit women this fall. But after a "long, impassioned debate," the 33 undergraduate members couldn't reach consensus and voted to postpone admitting women, according to the statement.

"[We] are taking the principle of club unity as paramount," Fly President Robert M. Carlock '95 said in the statement. "After all, what women would enjoy a community that is mixed about their presence?"

Since last year's vote to admit women, at least 20 new members have been admitted, Carlock said.

"This is not the same membership that voted unanimously last fall," he said. "But the process has proven to take more than a year. We took a step back for the good of the club and for the good of the community."

Women Appealing for Change [WAC], the undergraduate group that boycotted the nine all-male final clubs last year, responded to the Fly's decision with a letter to the editors of the Crimson.

"This decision is an embarrassment to the student body and the alumni of Harvard-Radcliffe and undermines the values which Harvard is supposed to represent," said the group, which formed last year to protest the final clubs' single-sex policy.

Sarah E. Winters '95, co-chair of WAC, said she is "disappointed, but not surprised" with the Fly's decision not to punch women.

She said she thinks the other final clubs are "fairly relieved" at the Fly's decision.

The Fly's refusal to admit women could impact other clubs that might have eventually considered integration, Winters said.

"It makes them not have to deal with the issue at all. They are content to sit back and be all-male," she said. "They were waiting to see what the Fly did."

The club will continue to discuss the issue and will be dedicated to establishing a "decision-making pro- cess for the future," the Fly's statement said.

"This is not a negative step, just a slowing down," Carlock said.

The club could decide to punch women as soon as this spring, he said.

Carlock said the possibility that some Fly members could resign in the wake of the vote "would be a tragedy--in my mind."

Graduate President of the Fly Eric E. Vogt said Sunday's vote is not a "final" decision.

"This is a step," he said. "We are working for unity, not to divide a community."

Vogt said he doesn't mind forfeiting University recognition, which the club lost because of its single-sex policy.

"I have experienced being recognized and not being recognized by the University and I can't tell the difference--with the exception of free heat," he said.

Carlock said the Fly would like to be the first final club on campus to admit women, but that will not influence its decision.

"Considering our history, it is appropriate we'd be the first," Carlock said. "If we were the first, we would have a monopoly on the female population [on campus]."

Winters said she thinks the club has missed a "golden opportunity" by deciding against a co-ed punch this fall.

"This was the best time, it is unlikely it will pass in the future," she said.

Carlock said he hopes groups like WAC will "respect what we've done so far and what we're going to do."

"We're trying not to politicize the issue," he said. "We are just a social club.

"This is not a negative step, just a slowing down," Carlock said.

The club could decide to punch women as soon as this spring, he said.

Carlock said the possibility that some Fly members could resign in the wake of the vote "would be a tragedy--in my mind."

Graduate President of the Fly Eric E. Vogt said Sunday's vote is not a "final" decision.

"This is a step," he said. "We are working for unity, not to divide a community."

Vogt said he doesn't mind forfeiting University recognition, which the club lost because of its single-sex policy.

"I have experienced being recognized and not being recognized by the University and I can't tell the difference--with the exception of free heat," he said.

Carlock said the Fly would like to be the first final club on campus to admit women, but that will not influence its decision.

"Considering our history, it is appropriate we'd be the first," Carlock said. "If we were the first, we would have a monopoly on the female population [on campus]."

Winters said she thinks the club has missed a "golden opportunity" by deciding against a co-ed punch this fall.

"This was the best time, it is unlikely it will pass in the future," she said.

Carlock said he hopes groups like WAC will "respect what we've done so far and what we're going to do."

"We're trying not to politicize the issue," he said. "We are just a social club.