What the Social Scene at Harvard Could Be

Male final clubs are one of the oldest, most recognizable, persistent staples of Harvard’s social culture. Their parties — held in decadent houses lining Mt. Auburn St with girls spilling out the front door as they queue to join the DJ-led, alcohol-infused, dimly-lit happenings inside, amongst the Picasso paintings, taxidermied animals, and signatures of famous alumni decorating the walls — are not just the fodder of many a dining hall conversation, but also contribute substantially to the depiction of our college in movies like “The Social Network."

Although I can only guess how final clubs are discussed outside of our Harvard bubble, within it, they are often charged with counts of elitism, exclusivity, and a lack of diversity. The obscure punch process, listed parties with highly unbalanced ratios of more women than men, and token minority members are common complaints. To be clear, there are many other grievances raised against final clubs — some valid, some not. I will never condone misogyny or sexual assault, and so it feels like a waste of column inches to make the obvious argument that predatory behavior should be rooted out wherever it manifests.

Nonetheless, as a South Asian American woman of Virginia’s middle class, you can most likely understand why I never anticipated finding myself in the throes of such a social scene by joining a female final club. Surprisingly, what I found amidst it all convinced me that final clubs can in fact be a good force on our campus.

Despite the aforementioned complaints, there are indeed redeemable qualities for both the members and the social scene. Through my own experience, I have met and mingled with people I never would have known otherwise; I have found solidarity in a female community; and I have been able to tangibly work towards increasing diversity in this scene from within it.

But there is still improvement that can be made. Perhaps the real question is not whether final clubs should exist, but rather what final clubs can learn — especially from one another — to have a healthier presence on campus.

Hosting more open parties, making the first round of punch open, and instituting a leadership position on board dedicated to promoting diversity can go a long way in making these outlets more inclusive and more diverse. But, it is also important to have supplementary and accessible social spaces led by students on campus to ensure that everyone finds their own community. Some of this is on the final clubs to improve; some of it is not.

Though students have long shunned final clubs due to their elitist nature, I do not believe the clubs are entirely culpable for their own elitism. Because of limited physical space and administrative restrictions on social gatherings, final clubs often seem like the only college parties happening on a given weekend. The Mather JCR and Pfoho Igloo frequently host themed parties, but they seldom feel like independent college gatherings because they are automatically housed under administrative purview. Students desire the freedom for independent spaces to socially gather, and the only physical ones available seem to be the final clubs, hence the status they are gifted for the autonomy they have.

However, I would be remiss to not mention that the elitism spoken of in regard to Harvard final clubs also points to the long list of influential alumni whose names are still revered on the walls of the clubhouses today. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Class of 1904, was a part of the Fly; the Fox had Bill Gates and T.S. Eliot, Class of 1910; and Theodore Roosevelt, Class of 1880, was in the Porcellian. Just as being a Harvard student grants us access to an unparalleled alumni network, so too does being a member of one of these final clubs. I believe it is hypocritical to simultaneously benefit from Harvard’s prestige and legacy as a student admitted here, yet scoff at the same inheritance for members of the final clubs.

To address the contention of exclusivity, it is important to acknowledge that there are multiple clubs with open punch processes. Similar to applying to Harvard or to a job, having previous familiarity with members or even the “application” process itself is helpful and can improve your chances of getting in. But, there is no guarantee. In this way, I do believe the final club punch season reflects similar selection processes for high achieving students and individuals, if just on a smaller scale with different criteria.

As opposed to the charges of elitism and exclusivity, I agree with those who critique finals clubs for lacking diversity. As a person of color, I distinctly and immediately noticed how not diverse the final club scene is. But, I also think it is equally as important to recognize that this contention has not been lost on the leadership of all final clubs. I cannot speak beyond the administration of my own club, but we recently established a Diversity Chair position on board because the club wanted to make it a priority to diversify the membership and hopefully encourage other clubs to do the same. This past year, our incoming class was majority-minority. It is impossible to say if all clubs will prioritize diversity in the same way, but it does speak to the potential for a better iteration of the final club scene down the road — one that prioritizes and indeed reflects more diversity.

Final clubs are quintessentially Harvard. Thus, most complaints of the social scene should not be geared towards eradicating the final clubs. Rather, we should focus on how we can improve them to be more accepting, diverse, and inclusive spaces, and how we can better supplement them to reach everyone’s social needs. After all, no one ever said final clubs have to be the only clubs.

Reshini Premaratne ’21 is a joint concentrator in Social Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in Currier House. Her column appears on alternate Mondays.