Meanwhile, in front of Sever Hall, two punches, arrayed in white clothing and bow ties, passed out literature concerning the relation of lactose to communist insurgency and offered chocolate milk to passers-by.

And in front of Widener Library, Michelle C. Sullivan '96 said she saw a man moon-walking while wearing a blond wig and one white glove.

"I didn't care to stay once I realized what it was," she said.

Others did. The punches' midday performance on the Widener steps drew a large crowd. At noon, two Owl initiates ran up and down the steps in pantyhose, chanting "If we were shorter, we would be midgets," while others sunbathed in Harvard boxers or rubbed lotion on their fellow punches' backs.

Although Harvard Square and the Yard certainly see their fair share of oddities, the punches' dress and behavior were conspicuous enough to draw a variety of comments.

Some students saw the wacky dress and outlandish behavior as good fun, but others had more mixed reactions.

"I thought it was kind of amusing, but I felt sorry for the guys," Edwards said.

"It was basically pretty harmless, but kind of stupid," Everett said. "It's not that funny, not even original."

A student who requested anonymity had more serious complaints.

"It's sort of out of control," she said. "It would be one thing if there were just one final club, but there's more than one, and it gets really annoying. It seems unfair that they can get away with a lot of stuff that other organizations can't."

"If the BGLSA put on a step show in the middle of class, [the administration] would be all over them," she said. "But because [final clubs] are doing it in the name of tradition it's okay. Authority is just a lot more lenient on them."

Members and punches of the Owl declined to comment.