In late April, another all-female group callingitself the Chameleon came on the scene. The newclub sent invitations to about 400 female studentsfrom all four classes and a variety of backgroundsfor an event to be held in May at the Copley PlazaHotel Grand Ballroom.

Unlike the final clubs, which are registeredwith the state as non-profit institutions, theChameleon was listed as a business by theCambridge City Clerk's office. The businesscertificate was signed by Esther E. Chang '95 andYulia Shapiro '95, both of whom are Crimsoneditors.

Initially, the two women denied involvementwith the club. Later, Chang acknowledged she hadsigned the business certificate, but said she wasdoing so at the behest of alumni organizers.

Many students who received the invitationsthought they were being tapped for a potential newclub because the invitations--which said "Byinvitation only"--closely resembled final clubpunch notices.

But the party never took place. And Shapirosays the Chameleon is not a final club.

Shapiro says the party was "postponed," notcanceled. "It's going to be rescheduled when wehave a better sense of timing next year, earlynext fall."

Shapiro says the group decided to cancel theplanned even "a couple of days before the party"was scheduled to take place. She would not say howmany responses the Chameleon had received at thattime.

According to a Copley Plaza employee, it wouldhave cost the Chameleon $2500 to rent theballroom, which had been reserved by Chang.

While final clubs traditionally do not chargestudents for attending punch parties, theChameleon asked $25 for each ticket to the event.This means the group would have needed responsesfrom 100 students--or from 50 invited womenplanning to bring dates--in order to break even.

Shapiro said last week that Chameleonorganizers originally filed as a business ratherthan as a non-profit group because the process ismore expedient, not because they intended thegroup as an entrepreneurial venture.

The club has since dissolved as a registeredbusiness and organizers "are in the process ofapplying for non-profit status," she says. Noother events have been scheduled.

A Need for a Forum

While WAC and the founders of the new female"final clubs" were crusading for equality on thesocial scene, other undergraduates were attemptingto create an organization where they could discusswomen's issues among women.

RUS, the oldest women's group on campus, longplayed the role of the women's representative oncampus. In fact, RUS once took a stand against thefinal clubs, denouncing them as elitist andsexist.

But in the past two years, the group hasincreasingly shied away from leading the politicaldebate on women's issues. Instead, members say, ithas turned into a grant-giving body.