Hasty Pudding Disruptions

To the Editors of The Crimson:

When I think of all the benefits of my Harvard education, one of the most important I can recall is the sense of maturity and propriety Harvard taught me. I learned how to act in social situations, and even more how not to act. If I hadn't already learned at home and in high school, perhaps it was the Eliot Spring Fete, the Hasty Pudding Ball, various faculty dinners or master's open houses that somehow taught me along the way what was socially correct behavior and what was inappropriate and rude. Evidently, a certain portion of the Harvard undergraduate population has yet to learn these lessons.

On Thursday, February 22, I attended the Hasty Pudding production of "Suede Expectations" with a friend. Along with the rest of the audience and cast, we were subjected to the most embarrassing display of juvenile, sophomoric and mean-spirited behavior I have ever witnessed at a Harvard function. Throughout the performance, a handful of the black-tied "sophisticates" in the audience persisted in heckling and verbally abusing the members of the cast, who were doing their level best to continue with their excellent performances. It got so bad that the curtain had to be dropped at one point and an announcement had to be made that the show could not go on if this abusive behavior continued.

A bit of rowdiness is perfectly acceptable from college students, but Thursday night's disturbance was not a simple example of good-spirited fun. I hope Harvard can still teach these people that a large amount of liquor and unmitigated arrogance do not give one carte blanche to become a social nuisance. The cast and staff at Hasty Pudding Theatricals should be commended for their professional way of dealing with the situation. Paul T. Keenan '85