"I kind of liked the pats of butter," said Gary L. Ford '99. "They were easy, nice and flingable, good projectile weapons."

Some took the switch personally.

"It's bad. I haven't done my butter thing yet, and I'm pissed," said Travis D. Wheatley '99.

Even Berry joined the chorus of would be Davids against the Goliath-like ceiling of the Union.

"I always found it a rather enjoyable tradition," he said. "Maybe we should have one last go at it before we close the building."

Berry added that the Union ceiling is cleaned twice a year with a cherry picker to remove butter remnants.

Some students said yesterday they have accepted the change and will continue their attempts to join the rarefied ranks of successful slingers.

"It would really be cool if someone could get a bowl of butter up there," said Jon K. Natchez '99.

Berry expressed hope that the high-flying tradition would fall by the wayside with the closing of the Union.

He said that he felt butter bombs would be an inappropriate tradition to bring to Memorial Hall, a structure built in honor of students who died in the Civil War.

"Hopefully, there will be more appropriate traditions," he said.

Alexandra R. Wilkis '99 offered a suggestion based on past food flinging experience.

"They used to do ham at my old school."