"A lot went on without them knowing," he says. "We would blatantly ignore their requests."

At parties, Halpern says, very few members would conduct themselves in accordance with ICC rules.

Only the president, or maybe a few of the other undergraduate officers, will take charge and tell students what they can and cannot do, Halpern says.

From the graduate side, Sears says the alumni understand that the undergraduates are not always going to follow the club rules--especially if the regulations cut down on parties.

"Anyone who thinks fun is being curtailed is going to resent that. Finding ways around the system is part of being a student," Sears says. "So undergraduates will continue to try to find ways to do whatever they want to do."

Male Bonding

Powers says introducing the graduates to the undergraduates is vital to the continuation of the club. The Owl's undergraduate officers meet with their graduate board president once a week.

"We try to foster interaction with graduate-undergraduate events," he says. "We sent out a newsletter with pictures of the guys with bios. If you're supporting any venture, you're going to want to know what you're supporting."

Halpern says the undergraduates also look to the graduates for jobs after they graduate, so maintaining relationships is key.

The final club president who asked not to be identified says he also attempts to keep the relations between the undergraduates and graduates civil by increased communication.

He speaks with his graduate board president three times a week.

"If somehow a guest gets into the club, our steward tells him and I need to get to the bottom of it," he said. "I don't think he wants to worry, but I think he does."

The president says that with the recent problems surrounding final clubs, he assumes most graduates have difficulty trusting the students. Yet, he characterizes the relationship as "good as it could be."

"They've never done something without having a meeting and talking with us first," he says.

Members say the strength of the undergraduate-graduate relationship depends on how the graduates view the purpose of the club.