Betting pool organized for Talcott Formal last weekend

A group of male Conservatory students organized a betting pool at the Talcott Formal last Saturday centered around judging the appearance of participants' dates.

Participants were asked to pay $10 to enter their dates in a contest which would award whoever had the best looking, best dressed and best acting female date. Organizers did not intend for the women who were entered in the pool to be aware that they were contestants, though some found out about the pool before the formal.

According to an anonymous student, the prize money was to be divided three ways. The winner would receive three-fourths of the pot, the second place winner about a fourth, and the third place winner would get his $10 back.

According to Conservatory junior Ross B. Williams, who was asked to participate but did not, at least 15 men participated. Other Conservatory males were approached, but turned down the offer.

"People approached me just because they thought I have a prize winning girlfriend. I think that is totally disgusting," Williams said. "Later on it occurred to me how it was absolutely ludicrous."

An anonymous source said he was approached the Tuesday before the formal and asked to participate in the bet. He said the idea of the bet was to award the betting pool, made by $10 anties paid by all the male participants, to the man whose date had the best smell, best walk and best preparation.

Double-degree Junior Nikki Bartnicki said she was told of the pool by a friend whose date refused to participate. She said, "Personally, I think it's sick, demeaning and inexcusable." She added that she and her date chose not to go to the formal.

One anonymous source said the betting pool had nothing to do with the objectification of women. "It was not any attempt to be defaming women. The intent was to merely play along with what was going to be a formal occasion," he said.

Bartnicki said the women approached the situation in different ways. Some decided to go and have a good time with it, Bartnicki said. She said she knew of two women who found out about the pool in advance and went anyway.

"The Con is supposed to perpetuate a professional atmosphere. This is not part of the professional world of musicians -- men objectifying people they are going to be working with," Bartnicki said.

"It's an odd manipulation of women," she said. "It creates a huge schism between women because it puts them in competition with each other and they don't even know about it."

Conservatory junior Scott Boughton said he too was approached and asked to participate, but declined.

"I don't think it's right to objectify anyone. Judging anyone without prior knowledge [is wrong]," Boughton said.

Junior Mateo Massanet said he was asked to be a judge of the contest. He said he was told that Conservatory professors were going to participate in the contest. "I thought it was going to be a popular thing. A few days later I found out that people were getting mad," Massanet said. Because of the stir, Massanet decided not to participate as a judge.

Massanet was offered a free ticket to the dance from the people who asked him to judge. "I don't have anything against the guys who started it. I think they didn't know what they were dealing with," Massanet said.

"I thought it was a funny thing to do in the beginning," Massanet said. "I think you shouldn't just judge on beauty ... and it should be a public thing if you do," Massanet said.

Another anonymous source said he was approached about the bet. "It was so unreal ... especially happening here," he said

Resident Coordinators in Talcott were unaware of the betting.