Closing Their Doors

In a long-awaited step in the right direction, four of Harvard's eight male-only final clubs--the A.D., the Owl, the Delphic and the Phoenix--have announced they have adopted policies which severely restrict building access to non-club members. The graduate boards who made the decisions were most likely acting out of self-interest, protecting themselves from legal liabilities. Nevertheless, the move is also in the best interests of the entire Harvard community.

Final clubs have long represented a stigma of values our College once embodied but has now rightly rejected. They are socially elitist, akin to the exclusive rich, old boys' clubs of days past. As the clubs are male-only and often create an uncomfortable environment for female guests (who, admittedly, enter the clubs of their own free will), they are sexist. One part of the Owl's new policy, which stipulates that at least one of a member's two guests must be female, is another example of that sexism. The College has chosen not to recognize final clubs because of their male-only status.

Most importantly, final clubs are dangerous. Not only have female guests often found themselves in compromising situations, but the clubs also constitute a potentially hazardous environment for the surrounding community. Last year, three students were arrested for throwing bricks from the roof of the A.D.--an irresponsible act which could have resulted in serious injury. In this light, it is understandable that the graduate boards of the four clubs have expressed concerns over "alcohol-related incidents," "accidents" and "property destruction."

But despite the deplorable values these clubs embody, more and more students are turning towards final clubs as a sole social outlet. Whether our administration recognizes it or not, final clubs have increasingly become centerpieces in our campus social scene. And so, not surprisingly, many students--members and non-members alike--have criticized the clubs' recent decisions because they limit social options on campus. "The purpose of the club is another social outlet," said Owl member Benjamin M. Green '00.

But the graduate boards of the organizations apparently disagree, pointing out that the clubs were not originally meant to be campus-wide social scenes but rather private gathering places for members. According to Rev. Douglas W. Sears '69, president of the Interclub Council, "clubs have always been clubs for the members--not necessarily party spots for others."

Perhaps by closing their doors to "outsiders," the clubs will experience a diminishing influence on social life at Harvard. Hopefully, as other social options emerge, that influence will dissipate completely.