IQ Society confounds students

Showered by fireworks and confetti, about 30 students took part in the IQ Society "Harvest Rite" near the McNeil Building early Wednesday morning. The IQ Society is reputedly a secret organization on campus whose purpose and membership are unknown. The students were told, by invitation, to meet at the "Eastern Foot of the 38th Street bridge" at midnight. After a few minutes, a series of bottle rockets and blackjacks were launched off the roof of McNeil. Confetti, gliders and leaflets also seemed to fall from the sky. Some of the fireworks got precariously close to students in attendance, although no one was hurt. One of the leaflets instructed students to "look in the rubbish bins near you," and upon examination, a nearby garbage can revealed two cases of Killian's Red beer. Other scraps of paper contained a lengthy message telling little about the organization, except that it hopes to "break down Penn's social, racial and gender barriers to form a secret community based on individual worth and a collective, committed whole." That's not much to go on. Students present were also curious about the organization, wondering whether they were "suckers" in a practical joke or legitimate "rushes" for the society. College freshman Paul Lisiak, who was present at the event, said he was skeptical at first. He said other freshmen were unaware of the society when he asked them about it. But after the fireworks started, Lisiak's impression turned favorable. "The IQ Society wants to bring back what college should be," Lisiak said, adding that he was impressed by the variety of people he met. "I don't think it was elitist, because the people seemed chosen because they were diverse. There didn't seem to be a stereotype or mold," he said. "You just don't see that kind of stuff at Penn." Last April, invitations distributed by the IQ Society also told invitees to meet at the 38th Street bridge. Once they were there, a message in a vial arrived via string from the top of 1920 Commons. That note read: "For the next 49 minutes, you should introduce yourself to as many people as possible, for there are members of IQ society present. Those considered for membership will be contacted tonight." These two events are the only known IQ Society events held so far.

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