Just before the MIT students arrived, Gilligan and his roommates decided to move the paw off of its ceremonious place on the wall and hide it under Robbins’ desk.

The crowd did not spot the paw and Gilligan shooed away the “frail-looking” MIT students.

Unsuccessful and woefully beaver-less, the MIT students forged a plan to reclaim the paw.

John A. Fries, a junior at MIT, then hatched the devious scheme of posing as a Crimson reporter to steal back the paw.

Fries did some research and posed as real-life Crimson editor William M. Rasmussen ’04, saying he was “Bill”—a nickname that Rasmussen never actually uses.

Gilligan said Fries was unprofessional and snivelling, so the first-years assumed that he was a new reporter assigned to write an easy, fun story.

Fries took copious notes and included a photo shoot outside of John Harvard’s restaurant in the story.

After snapping a few pictures, the Crimson-wannabe, wearing a brand-new Harvard t-shirt, ran off with the paw.

Gilligan was “shocked” at first, but proceeded to chase Fries.

The chase began outside of the restaurant, continued through the Square and the Yard and ended with Fries’ disappearance behind Lowell Lecture Hall.

Gilligan attributed the loss of the paw to darkness, rain and Robbins’ sandals.

Robbins said the experience made him “feel like a piece of putty. I was played with.”

—Crimson Staff writer Maria S. Pedroza can be reached at mpedroza@fas.harvard.edu.