Women Invade All-Male Final Club Punching Party

Eight women dressed in suitcoats and ties entered the punching party of the Delta Upsilon (D.U.) final club Sunday in an effort to sexually integrate the traditionally all-male bastion.

Stewart Shofner '79 and Stephen A. Kowal '79, club members, gathered eight of their female friends and nominated or "punched" them for membership in the club under male pseudonyms.

Shofner said yesterday they punched the women in an effort to expose the sexism of the traditional all-male membership and to test the reaction of the club members.

"There were a lot of shocked faces when we first walked in, but after we had been there for about an hour, there were a lot of pleased faces," Mary Anne Z. Kocur '81, one of the eight women, said yesterday. "Ninety per cent of the members seemed to think it was a good idea," she added.

One Holdout

Acceptance of the women at the gathering was not universal, however. Club steward Louis Lacroix, upon noticing the entrance of the women, proceeded to lock himself and the food for the party into an upstairs room, Kowal said. After two hours, though, food was served to all those present, including the women, he added.

"They did treat us with respect," Carol M. Imm '80, one of the eight women, said yesterday.

Club officers however, informed the women they were only guests at the gathering, in accordance with traditional clubhouse rules, Kocur said.

John A. Krasznekewicz '79, president of the club, said yesterday a woman could conceivably go through the punch if she were entered in the punch properly and met with the general approval of club members.

He added that these particular women, could not go through the punch because they were not entered in the correct manner. Though D.U. is considered one of the more liberal final clubs, it continues to refuse women membership because "the alumni are against it and they support us," Kowal said.

Two women were punched into the club two years ago, but were refused membership when several influential alumni withdrew their financial support because of the incident, Shofner said.

Final Insult

"I believe final clubs have been personally insulting women for the last hundred years," Shofner said, adding that "hopefully people two years from now will take my actions further and admit women to the club."

"I think women will be admitted soon, and when they are, it will be an excellent thing," Kowal said.

Imm said that she would not consider joining, because, "I am personally against the elitism that a lot of these clubs seem to belive in."