The student organizations of the University of Maryland, College Park foster community and friendship for many students on campus. It’s hard to argue against the idea of allowing students to organize and take action within their own lives. However, the unsaid needs to be said; the Hitting People With Hammers Club is a deeply problematic organization and should be dissolved. I just don’t think that it’s right for UMD to allow packs of college students to roam around campus and hit random passerbys with hammers. It’s a dated and frankly dangerous practice.

Now, what I am saying may be considered controversial. The Hammers Club is undoubtedly an important part of UMD’s history. It was one of the first clubs at UMD to allow women into its ranks. We all remember the iconic 1905 photo of female and male students working together to hit random people on the street with hammers as hard as they could. They are also big philanthropists. Just last year The Hammers Club raised over 15,000 dollars for local animal shelters. However, I still don’t think that their altruism makes up for the danger that they can pose to campus. And to be fair, I’m pretty sure they gathered that money by holding the finance majors at hammerpoint until they donated.

The University Health Center recently found that The Hammers Club is the second most common source of hammer-related injuries on campus. Over 75% of students report fearing an encounter with members of The Hammers Club. I don’t think it’s fair that classes at ESJ are regularly shut down because The Hammers Club guards the doors to ambush students. I don’t think it’s fair that UMD is using my tuition to build a new Ace Hardware store that only sells hammers, and I certainly don’t think it’s fair to allow a Hammers Club liaison to stay in each residence hall to “keep us frosty.”

Just recently, I myself had an encounter with the club. I had come down with a case of the flu, and some members of The Hammers Club brought me a care package with soup and medicine. They then proceeded to hit me on my body with a hammer several times. Regardless, I thank them for the aid. 

The Hitting People with Hammers Club has done so much good for UMD and will always be remembered as an integral part of our history. However, it is time for them to accept that times have changed, and it is no longer okay to hit people with hammers.

Image Credits: Reagan Eisenstatt