First-Years Receive Fake Pudding Invites

Scores of first-years who received fake punch invitations to the Hasty Pudding Club gathered in front of the club building at 12 Holyoke St. for a scheduled punch last night, only to discover it was just a prank.

The Pudding had an invite-only punch event planned for last evening, but was forced to call off the event when dozens of unexpected guests carrying fake invitations arrived at the doorstep of the club.

Confused punch invitees dressed in their best-including those legitimately and not legitimately invited-were greeted with a single page, computer-printed notice which headlined: "TONIGHT'S PUNCH HAS BEEN CANCELED."

The posting blamed the Harvard Lampoon and urged members, punches and victims of the prank to call the Lampoon and its president, Matthew J.T. Murray '99. The note even included the Lampoon's office phone number and Murray's home number.

Lampoon members-including Murray-would neither confirm nor deny that they were involved in the prank last night.

The Pudding alleged that the Lampoon door-dropped 500 fake punch invitations Sunday night to first-years in the Yard and Union dorms. From Hollis to Hurlbut halls, first-years trekked down to the Hasty Pudding clubhouse for what the false invitation described as a "cocktail party for prospective members."

Fake cards, printed on the same stock of paper as the real invitations, had the Pudding's insignia printed slightly off-center. A first-year's name and room number was handwritten on one side, with the insignia printed on the reverse. The real invitation had a border around the card and was stamped with either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, informing invitees of when to attend.

Fake punch cards had a handwritten "9/29/97" for the date and requested business attire, no guests and no R.S.V.P., presumably to steer investigative first-years from inquiring at the Pudding office.

But between 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. last night, the Lampoon apparently responded by ripping down the Pudding's notice on the door and replacing it with an imitation that mocked the Pudding's apology, the Pudding claimed.

The parody read, in part, "If you have read this sign, you have been pranked by the Hasty Pudding Club, and once again, have not been punched...." The Pudding's office number and the home number of Pudding president Erin F. Delaney '98 were listed on the white sheet of paper. The note also claimed that "there are not any Lampoon members in the Hasty Pudding nor have any ever been punched."

Konstantinos Papakonstantinou '01, with a fake invitation, arrived at the Pudding bedecked in tie and sweater. After reading the notice on the door, he vowed revenge upon the Lampoon. "I'm going to play a prank on them. Where is their building?"

Another angry and disappointed first-year was heard muttering, "I'm gonna kill somebody."

Adam E. Cohen '01 and Elisha N. Yaghmai '01 both received fake invitations, but took the prank rather well. They returned to their room and brought three of their roommates from Weld 12 to see the notice, but not before conspiring to provide an excuse explaining why they had to come back home so soon.

Cohen, dressed in a jacket but no tie, initially told his roommates that he was turned away for being inappropriately dressed for the occasion. "This is really funny. I want to comp the Lampoon now," Cohen said.

Peter T. Gage '01 and his Hurlbut roommates left their room to buy ice cream at 12:30 yesterday morning and returned an hour later to find two ersatz Hasty Pudding punch invitations.

Gage said that he held no ill feelings toward the Lampoon nor the pudding, adding that he would still consider joining the Pudding, if asked.

Vice president of the Hasty Pudding Club Peter H. Friedland '98 emphasized that the students hurt most by the prank are first-years who were not originally invited to the punch, as opposed to club members who also had to be turned away at the door after the event was canceled.

"It was five hundred freshmen that got their feelings hurt. [Officers of the Hasty Pudding Club] are desperately sorry that the Lampoon would manipulate our name to hurt freshmen," Friedland said.

The eight officers of the Pudding are "seriously considering expelling" members who apparently knew of the prank beforehand and didn't act to prevent it.CrimsonWilliam B. DecherdSPIKED PUNCH: ELIZABETH H. WINTHROP '01 (left), DANIEL J. RHODES '01 (center), and ANDREW J. KIN '01 read a sign posted on the door of the Hasty Pudding Club announcing the cancellation of last night's punch party.

Konstantinos Papakonstantinou '01, with a fake invitation, arrived at the Pudding bedecked in tie and sweater. After reading the notice on the door, he vowed revenge upon the Lampoon. "I'm going to play a prank on them. Where is their building?"

Another angry and disappointed first-year was heard muttering, "I'm gonna kill somebody."

Adam E. Cohen '01 and Elisha N. Yaghmai '01 both received fake invitations, but took the prank rather well. They returned to their room and brought three of their roommates from Weld 12 to see the notice, but not before conspiring to provide an excuse explaining why they had to come back home so soon.

Cohen, dressed in a jacket but no tie, initially told his roommates that he was turned away for being inappropriately dressed for the occasion. "This is really funny. I want to comp the Lampoon now," Cohen said.

Peter T. Gage '01 and his Hurlbut roommates left their room to buy ice cream at 12:30 yesterday morning and returned an hour later to find two ersatz Hasty Pudding punch invitations.

Gage said that he held no ill feelings toward the Lampoon nor the pudding, adding that he would still consider joining the Pudding, if asked.

Vice president of the Hasty Pudding Club Peter H. Friedland '98 emphasized that the students hurt most by the prank are first-years who were not originally invited to the punch, as opposed to club members who also had to be turned away at the door after the event was canceled.

"It was five hundred freshmen that got their feelings hurt. [Officers of the Hasty Pudding Club] are desperately sorry that the Lampoon would manipulate our name to hurt freshmen," Friedland said.

The eight officers of the Pudding are "seriously considering expelling" members who apparently knew of the prank beforehand and didn't act to prevent it.CrimsonWilliam B. DecherdSPIKED PUNCH: ELIZABETH H. WINTHROP '01 (left), DANIEL J. RHODES '01 (center), and ANDREW J. KIN '01 read a sign posted on the door of the Hasty Pudding Club announcing the cancellation of last night's punch party.