The graduates are split about 50-50 in the abstract, but "are willing to defer to the undergrads," he says.

Some undergraduates feared alienating the graduates if they admitted women last year, he says, noting that the graduate funds support the club.

He says it "is up to the undergraduates now. The grads are on record overwhelmingly as saying--if you want to, do it."

"There are no real rules for this," he says. "You need forceful individuals. That core group hasn't emerged this year."

The "Tradition" Argument

The alumnus says he thinks the Carlock, the club president, could push the vote to admit women, if he chose.

"Carlock ought to be a leader here--if he wants to take women he has to make it happen," he says.

He compared the prospect of a coed punch with the decision to admit the first Black Fly members in the 1970's.

"I think it was the same thing with the first Black--a few members saying, look fellas its time to enter the 20th century," he says.

The alumnus says he does not support the idea that the club must uphold the 157-year tradition of all-male membership.

"That tradition stuff is a lot of bullshit. Tradition can be changed tomorrow," he says. "A much better argument is--we want a place to go without women. That is a morally, intellectually justifiable argument."

"What kind of tradition is it when 80 percent of grads say do what you want," he adds. "The Fly's own poll proves the tradition argument is silly."

Furthermore, says the alumnus, the Fly's vote could have had a profound affect on the other final clubs on campus.

"It would have put the other clubs in an awkward position," he says. "They would have hemmed and hawed, but they would have come around."

But, speaking on condition of anonymity, a punchmaster for another final club says the other clubs were "secretly hoping" that the Fly would admit women.