Is a new era beginning on Garden Street?
“Punch” is probably the most versatile word in the Harvard lexicon. It can function as a noun, a verb, or an adjective, taking different subjects, objects, and meanings depending on context. And in this linguistic flexibility lies one of the basic facts about punching: In order to punch, one must be punched first. While fraternities and sororities across the country let anyone audition for a spot—as do Princeton’s posh eating clubs—at Harvard, even the selection processes are invite-only. For generations, freshmen have been introduced to this idiosyncrasy within their first few weeks at school courtesy of the Hasty Pudding Club, a centuries-old social institution that claims five U.S. Presidents as members (one of whom suspiciously graduated Harvard decades before the club was founded). In late September, many first-years find themselves sitting on the sidelines while their roommates—often the ones who hail from New York or Greenwich—are whisked off to participate in a peculiar process
