Spock stood outside at a vantage point that was roughly equidistant from both the women's dorm and the men's dorm on the Starfleet Academy grounds. Tonight, the males from his dorm would participate in an activity that was said to have been a tradition since the academy was founded. He had decided to witness this activity in an attempt to better understand his mother's people. As he watched the men carry an antique aluminum ladder from their dorm, he idly noted a group sneaking from the back of the women's dorm with what appeared to be a ladder.

Soon, the men had positioned the ladder against an open window and entered the building one at a time as silently as possible. After the last man had entered the dorm there was a yell of "Panty raid!" followed by the shrieks of the women inside. Spock briefly wondered if he should call campus security.

After about fifteen minutes, the men raced out of the front door carrying bundles of brightly colored cloth. Once the last man had left, they gathered the ladder and raced back to their own dorm not noticing the group that had left their dorm with a bulging sack balanced on a ladder that was similar to their own.

Realizing that the spectacle was over, and that he had yet again failed to gain any understanding of his mother's culture, Spock returned to his room. When he went to change into his nightclothes, he learned that someone had stolen his undergarments.