"It's a very social product, one that draws people together," she says.

"Everyone who attended was so fun and enthusiastic, I had a wonderful time," Maimonis says. "It would be fantastic if these people were indicative of the next `Tupperware generation."

Maimonis called Krishnaswamy to the front of the room so that he could demonstrate the many wonders of the purchases he had made over the summer.

In a presentation brimming with youthful exuberance, he elicited sighs of appreciation from the crowd as he introduced his own microwave reheatable set, "perfect for storing Chef Chow's leftovers."

When chattering ensued, however, Maimonis was quick to pipe in with a "Would you mind sharing your comments with the rest of us? eradicating any doubt as to who was in charge that Monday night.

She even gave these learned Harvard students a refresher course in arithmetic as she revealed Tupperware's newest venture into educational plastics: addition and multiplication flip-cards called "Fun in a Flash."

Several volunteers tried their luck with the addition set, but one skeptical student whose answer was disputed by the suggested response on the back of the card replied, "You've failed to convince me, actually. I've been taught to distrust what I read."

Contention was not in the spirit of the evening, however. Interspersed with friendly reminders regarding how to keep munchies from going stale, Maimonis initiated a few party games to entertain the masses.

As Krishnaswamy interjected with helpful hints like, "my roommate even stores his baseball glove in Tupperware," Maimonis was offering to lead the group in efforts to "Name that Mixed Drink."

Chances are that this would not be an accurate sketch of the Tupperware parties of years past. Of course, Maimonis doesn't fit the precise mold of the "Tupperware lady" either.

After teaching for 14 years, she decided that she needed to be home to raise a family. That was five years ago--Maimonis now has two children, ages four and two-and-a-half with a third on the way.

This trend is the reverse of what is often associated with women breaking out of their roles as homemakers and into the world of careers, she says.

Whalen says Maimonis's children will benefit from her experience. "My mother was out selling Tupperware, so she didn't have time to bake cookies with it. But now I use it to cook, so it turned out all right in the end anyway," he says.

And as both Maimonis and Krishnaswamy can attest, once you let Tupperware organize your life, its permanent influence is inescapable.

"I'm obsessed, totally into it," gushes Maimonis. "I've always felt good about Tupperware, maybe because when I was young I went to parties with my mother."