Some of you may be familiar with the concept of naked parties popular at college campuses across the nation but perhaps especially Yale; in any event, I thought I would attach a relevant email sent to the freshman class about something its anonymous author purports to be the first Pundit-sponsored prankish naked party of the year. I was out all afternoon participating in a fun Trumbull-freshmen-only scavenger hunt across campus, and came back to find this:

Dear Freshmen,

Some of you were visited several nights ago by upperclassmen who delivered to your suites invitations to “The Masquerade.” The invitations read:

“You and one guest are cordially invited by a distinguished group of peers to attend the Masquerade on Saturday, the Fifteenth of September. Please arrive in formal attire at the gates to the Hall of Graduate Studies at nine thirty post merediem. Tell no one and do not be late. Non Ducor, Duco.”

An image of the invitation, for your reference, is attached. Some of you may be under the impression that you have been tapped for something, or invited to a gathering hosted by a secret society, such as the Yale Society for the Exploration of Campus Secrets (YSECS).

Sadly, this is not the case. Your ‘hosts’ are the Pundits, the infamous Senior pranking society.

Should you choose to go to the gates of the HGS this evening, here is what will happen:

1) You will be led to an off-campus location by the Pundits.

2) There will be a party there.

3) Before very long, and at a certain cue, the Pundits will take off all of their clothes.

4) You will feel rather awkward, unless you’re into that sort of thing.

The party is the first of the Pundits’ well-known naked parties this season, and you were invited–if you were–in hopes of making you uncomfortable for their amusement. It seems to me that while the Pundits are often very clever and entertaining, that deceiving freshmen for one’s own entertainment should not be anyone’s idea of a good time, and that the intended victims of the prank should at least have the opportunity to choose to go, or not, in full knowledge of the nature of the event.

So! Should the idea of a naked party excite you–it is, after all, a Yale tradition of its own–feel free to meet the Pundits, in all their transgressive glory, at 9:30 at the gates of the Hall of Graduate Studies. If not, there are many fun things to do on a Saturday that don’t involve being tricked by a bunch of Seniors.

I wish you all the happiest of weekends. Enjoy the beginning of your Yale experience. Take it from someone who’s nearing the end of his:

it’s pretty awesome, and there’s nothing else like it.

Yours,

Anonymous

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In a way I think it’s sad that he ruined the surprise of the event, if it is what our anonymous tipster says, but quite a lot of people will be thanking him. The pundit parties are apparently not the really cool naked parties, so I am told. I’m not saying that he was wrong to spoil it, either. Anyway, Yale is fun. Me, I wouldn’t have gone to some mysterious event even if I’d received an invitation–I’ve got a date for Old Campus hide and seek tonight at the same time : )