RUS Continues Sale of Anti-Final Club Caps

The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) is distributing baseball caps bearing the logo "F.C.S."--short for "Finals Clubs Suck"--to express its opposition to the all-male social institutions.

RUS first introduced the caps last spring during "Take Back The Night" week, and officials said they sold out a stock of 60.

Buoyed by those sales, RUS ordered another 100 caps this fall and have sold more than 20 in the last week, according to Co-President Minna M. Jarvenpaa '93.

The hats represent an effort to revamp the group's campaign to shut down Harvard's nine final clubs, which seems to have stalled, Jarvenpaa said.

Jarvenpaa said that while the efforts of RUS last year attracted considerable publicity, they effected no concrete changes and drained RUS resources. She said the caps represent a new approach to their ongoing protest against the clubs.

"It's an unconventional way of approaching the issue and it's an easy way for people to show their support for RUS," she said. "The caps have been a great success."

The idea for the caps originated in an RUS meeting last spring, according to Maura H. Swan '94.

"It started as a facetious thing," said Swan. "Someone came up with the idea almost as a joke."

Jessye E. Lapenn '93 said the hats' playfulnessaddress "this idea that feminism doesn't have asense of humor."

"People have accused any anti-final club groupsof taking themselves too seriously," Lapenn said."I think the hats prove that's wrong."

Lapenn stressed, however, that RUS has notbacked down on its stance on final clubs. She saidshe feels the popularity of the caps is a sign ofthe strong anti-final clubs sentiment on campus.

"I think it's been a successful symbol. Peoplehave rallied around them. They've been a realpresence," Lapenn said.

And beyond being a political presence, the hatshave scored big on the fashion scale as well, Swansaid.

"They're the hot fashion item at the moment,"she said

Jessye E. Lapenn '93 said the hats' playfulnessaddress "this idea that feminism doesn't have asense of humor."

"People have accused any anti-final club groupsof taking themselves too seriously," Lapenn said."I think the hats prove that's wrong."

Lapenn stressed, however, that RUS has notbacked down on its stance on final clubs. She saidshe feels the popularity of the caps is a sign ofthe strong anti-final clubs sentiment on campus.

"I think it's been a successful symbol. Peoplehave rallied around them. They've been a realpresence," Lapenn said.

And beyond being a political presence, the hatshave scored big on the fashion scale as well, Swansaid.

"They're the hot fashion item at the moment,"she said