"Membership is definitely not purely based on merit. It's a social club," says Murphy, a North House resident and Pegasus on the Advocate. He says social elements make up "40 percent" of the election process."

"People know members and that helps very much in getting elected," says Ari Z. Posner '86, the society's vice-president and a History and Literature concentrator.

Elections are "weighted somewhat more to the social side because of the way the nomination process works," says Michael W. Hirschorn '86, adding that he would like to see the nomination process changed.

"It used to be a haven for artists and literary figures, but it became an alternative for dilettantes," says one person who was asked to join but declined the invitation, adding that "the best writers on campus are not members."

But associate members say that undergraduate members consider only the literary, artistic, and intellectual aspects of a potential member in deciding whether he should be elected. Writers involved seriously in campus publications, actors, artists, and musicians make up the bulk of the Signet's membership, says Marquand, adding, "The Signet is much less of a social club than The Crimson."

"The Signet has merit-based selection, not one based on distinction or wealth," says Epps, the Harvard administrator charged with overseeing official student organizations.

Students also say that the Signet's exclusive nature has pushed it closer into the realm of final clubs. "It's hard to defend the Signet against charges of elitism. We apply standards which are admittedly vague and which vary from election to election. Everyone who joins the Signet accepts this," Murphy says.

"In a limited sense, [the comparison to final clubs] is probably correct," says Hirschorn, adding that "the administering of the criteria for admission is far from perfect."

"I've been in both situations, and the atmospheres are different, the kinds of things you discuss are different," says Drake, adding that the cocktail hour given by the Signet for nominated students is completely different than the fall or spring punching seasons of final clubs.

But Cardwell says the society's mission is far different than the much-maligned finals clubs. "The Signet isn't exactly like a final club. It's not just a social organization. It is a social organization, but it is supposed to somehow further arts and letters also," she says.

Exporting Culture

While the society's original charter states that the aim of the Signet is "to stimulate and promote greater interest and proficiency in letters, the arts and scholarship," members say that their society does little as an organization to stimulate literary activities on campus.

"There is room for improvement for the Signet as a literary society," says Posner. The society is currently trying to raise $1 million, and the club's leaders say part of this money will help the society act more as a campus cultural center.

Some members are trying to open up the election process so that any undergraduate could try to become a member. "A big concern among members is how to make [the Signet] less elitist than it is now," says Cardwell, a Kirkland House resident.

"Ideally, people would be able to nominate themselves," says Hirschorn, adding that while the "large, large majority of people in the Signet deserve to be there," other students at Harvard who deserve to be elected are never nominated.

But Posner says that, although he favors the change, he does not think members would approve election reform. "They might think it would demean the standards by which they were elected.