"Harvard doesn't want to be seen as subsidizing undergraduate drinking, but that was the one place women approached the social outlet available to men," Sears says.
Newly-elected Pudding President William B. Decherd '01 has made finding a new space for the club a priority.
The club is currently asking alumni for donations to help it in its search for a suitable location.
What exactly will happen to the now homeless club, though, is up in the air.
Settling Down
After a series of policy changes in spring 1999 as a result of poor undergraduate-graduate relations, the all-male final clubs have had surprisingly little conflict this year.
Other than the Owl's Club's closure from December to February in order to take a "breather," as Owl President Jonathan Powers '00 described it, and the A.D. Club's recent shutdown for what members described as "renovations," few incidents have attracted attention.
Sears says final clubs have improved this year as graduate boards have put a greater emphasis on the original model of behavior in the gentlemen's clubs.
As for members who grew accustomed to the frequent parties and more open guest policy, Sears says the only students who have a problem with the new management will be gone soon anyway.
"As the kids graduate out, the idea of having sensible guest policies will make sense," Sears says. "These people accept it; they aren't function halls. Undergraduates will be respectful of that and the clubs will stay open."