Eating clubs
Encyclopedia
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
are private institutions resembling both dining halls and social houses, where the majority of Princeton upperclassmen eat their meals. Each eating club
Eating club
An eating club is a social club found in American universities. Eating clubs date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are intended to allow college students to enjoy meals and pleasant discourse. Some clubs are referred to as bicker clubs because of the bickering process over which...
occupies a large mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
on Prospect Avenue
Prospect Avenue
Prospect Avenue may refer to:*Prospect Avenue , a street that runs close to U.S. Route 71-New York City Subway stations:*Prospect Avenue , in the Bronx; serving the trains...
, one of the main roads that runs through the Princeton campus, with the exception of Terrace Club which is just around the corner on Washington Road. This area is known to students colloquially as "The Street." Princeton's eating clubs are the primary setting in F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
's 1920 debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
, This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive Princeton University...
, and more recently, the clubs appeared prominently in the best-selling 2004 novel, The Rule of Four
The Rule of Four
The Rule of Four is a novel written by American authors Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, and published in 2004. Caldwell, a Princeton University graduate, and Thomason, a Harvard College graduate, are childhood friends who wrote the book after their respective graduations.The Rule of Four reached...
.
Princeton undergraduates currently have their choice of ten eating clubs. Five clubs—Cap and Gown Club
Cap and Gown Club
Cap and Gown Club, founded in 1890, is an eating club at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Colloquially known as "Cap", the club is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton . Members are selected through a selective process called bicker...
, Princeton Tower Club
Princeton Tower Club
Princeton Tower Club is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, and one of five clubs to choose its members through a selective process called bicker...
, The Ivy Club
The Ivy Club
The Ivy Club is the oldest eating club at Princeton University. It was founded in 1879 with Arthur Hawley Scribner as its first head. The members of each class are selected through the bicker process, a series of ten screening interviews, which are followed by discussions amongst the members as...
, Tiger Inn
Tiger Inn
The Tiger Inn is one of the ten active eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. Tiger Inn was founded in 1890 and is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton .. Tiger Inn is the third oldest Eating Club...
and University Cottage Club
University Cottage Club
The University Cottage Club is one of ten current eating clubs at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is also one of the five bicker clubs, along with The Ivy Club, Tiger Inn, Cap and Gown Club, and Tower Club.-History:...
, —are selective, choosing their members through a process called "bicker". Five clubs - Cloister Inn
Cloister Inn
Cloister Inn is one of the undergraduate eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1912, Cloister occupies a neo-Gothic building on Prospect Avenue, between Cap and Gown Club and Charter Club. Cloister closed temporarily in 1972, becoming open to all...
, Princeton Charter Club
Princeton Charter Club
The Princeton Charter Club is one of Princeton University's ten active undergraduate eating clubs located on or near Prospect Avenue in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.-Club history:...
, Colonial Club
Colonial Club
Colonial Club is one of the ten current eating clubs of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1891, it is the fifth oldest of the clubs. It is located on 40 Prospect Avenue....
, Quadrangle Club
Quadrangle Club
The Princeton Quadrangle Club, often abbreviated to "Quad", is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University that remain open. Located at 33 Prospect Avenue, the club is currently "sign-in," meaning it permits any second semester sophomore, junior or senior to join...
, and Terrace Club
Terrace Club
Terrace F. Club is one of the ten current eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Terrace was founded in 1904 as the twelfth club at Princeton...
- are non-selective. These clubs' members are chosen through a lottery process called "sign-in." While nearly three-quarters of upperclassmen (third- and fourth-year students) at Princeton take their meals at the eating clubs, the clubs are private institutions and are not officially affiliated with Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Social functions
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
, to which the clubs are sometimes compared, all of the clubs admit both male and female members, and members (with the exception of some of the undergraduate officers) do not live in the mansion.
The eating clubs also provide many services for their members. Each club, in general, has a living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
cluster, billiard room
Billiard room
A billiard room is a recreation room, such as in a house or recreation center, with a billiards, pool or snooker table...
, and tap room. Members frequently use club facilities for studying and socializing. Each club also has a large lawn, either in front of or behind the mansion, and on days with nice weather, one will often see Princeton students playing various sports on club lawns.
On most Thursday and Saturday nights, the Street is the primary social venue for Princeton students, and each club will have music and/or various themed parties which are generally open to all University students, not just members. Friday nights are much more low-key at Princeton, and clubs that are open are usually open only to members. Each club also has semiformal events and formal dinners and dances.
Events are held annually at every club. These events include: Lawnparties, when clubs hire bands to play outdoors on their lawns on the Sunday before fall classes begin; Winter Formals, which take place on the last Saturday before winter break; Initiations, where new sophomore recruits are introduced to club life (usually in early February); and Houseparties, a three-day festival at the end of spring term during which each club has a Friday night formal, a Saturday night semiformal, a champagne brunch on Sunday morning, and another round of Lawnparties on Sunday afternoon. Notable artists that have played at Lawnparties in recent years include Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
, Beirut
Beirut (band)
Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zachary Francis Condon, and later expanded into a band. The band's first performances were in Wollaston, United Kingdom, in May 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar...
, Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Early life:Ben Kweller was born in San Francisco, CA in 1981. In 1982, his family relocated to Emory, Texas, where his father, Howard Kweller, became the town's first doctor. In 1986, the Kwellers moved to a much larger city,...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, B.o.B.
B.O.B.
B.O.B. is a video game that was released in 1993. It is a side-scrolling game developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Foley Hi-Tech Systems, and published by Electronic Arts. It is both a 2D shooter and a platform game, and is available for both the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega...
, Citizen Cope
Citizen Cope
Clarence Greenwood is an American songwriter and producer. His eclectic mix of blues, laid-back rock, soul, and folk has a large and profoundly dedicated following, built over the past decade of touring due to solid word of mouth....
, Eve 6
Eve 6
Eve 6 is an American rock band from Southern California, who are most well known for their hit singles "Inside Out", "Leech", and the slow anthem "Here's to the Night". They disbanded in 2004, returned in 2007 with a new lineup, and finally reunited with all three original members in March 2011...
, Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
, Günther
Mats Söderlund
Mats Söderlund is a Swedish musician, best known under his stage name Günther, who began his career in 2004. In 2006, his song "Like Fire Tonight" was accepted into Melodifestivalen, a Swedish music competition...
, Howie Day
Howie Day
Howard Kern "Howie" Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals in order to accompany himself...
, Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
, Lifehouse
Lifehouse (band)
Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
, Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
, Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...
, MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
, New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Rooney
Rooney
Rooney may refer to:People*Rooney , the forename of various people*Rooney , the surname of various people*The Rooney family, of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise...
, Sister Hazel
Sister Hazel
Sister Hazel are an alternative rock band from Gainesville, Florida, whose style also blends elements of folk rock, pop, classic rock 'n' roll and southern rock. Their music is characterized by highly melodic tunes and generally optimistic lyrics. The band's instrumentation often features abrupt...
, They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, and The Walkmen
The Walkmen
The Walkmen are an American indie rock band, with members based in New York City and Philadelphia. The band formed in 2000 with three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater—Paul Maroon , Walter Martin , and Matt Barrick —and two from The Recoys, Peter Bauer and Hamilton Leithauser . All but Bauer...
. Many bands, including Girl Talk
Girl Talk (musician)
Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
and Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
, have played at eating clubs for other occasions. On June 13, 1981, R.E.M. played its first concert north of the Mason-Dixon line at an eating club in Princeton.
History
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Eating clubs arose from dining societies, in which Princeton students gathered to take meals at a common table. These groups, often whimsically named, rarely lasted longer than a few years, disappearing when their founders graduated.
Towards the end of the 19th century the eating clubs began to recruit new members as old ones left and also began to lease or buy permanent facilities. Ivy Club was the first of the permanent eating clubs. It was followed shortly after by University Cottage Club
University Cottage Club
The University Cottage Club is one of ten current eating clubs at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is also one of the five bicker clubs, along with The Ivy Club, Tiger Inn, Cap and Gown Club, and Tower Club.-History:...
. This process was greatly aided by Moses Taylor Pyne
Moses Taylor Pyne
Moses Taylor Pyne , was a financier and philanthropist, and one of Princeton University's greatest benefactors and most influential Trustees....
. He provided financial assistance to most of the eating clubs. An early member of Ivy Club, Pyne was heavily involved in the early development of Cap and Gown Club
Cap and Gown Club
Cap and Gown Club, founded in 1890, is an eating club at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Colloquially known as "Cap", the club is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton . Members are selected through a selective process called bicker...
, Campus Club
Campus Club
Campus Club was one of the undergraduate eating clubs at Princeton University. Located on the corner of Washington Road and Prospect Avenue, Campus was founded in 1900...
, Elm Club, Cloister Inn, and many others. The new clubs (along with other new extracurricular activities) gradually eroded the central role that debate societies Whig and Clio played in undergraduate student life. The decline in popularity and energy of the societies led to their merger into the American Whig-Cliosophic Society
American Whig-Cliosophic Society
The American Whig–Cliosophic Society is a political, literary, and debating society at Princeton University and the oldest debate union in the United States...
, which still exists today.
Twenty eating clubs have existed since Ivy Club opened in 1879, though never more than 18 at any one time. At various points, many of the eating clubs fell on hard times and closed their doors or merged with others. The now-defunct eating clubs include Campus Club, Key and Seal Club, Arch Club, Gateway Club, Court Club, Arbor Inn, and Prospect Club. Dial, Elm, and Cannon Clubs merged to form DEC Club, which operated from 1990 to 1998. The most recent club to close was Campus Club
Campus Club
Campus Club was one of the undergraduate eating clubs at Princeton University. Located on the corner of Washington Road and Prospect Avenue, Campus was founded in 1900...
, which shut down in 2005. Alumni of Dial, Elm, and Cannon Clubs are reopening Cannon as Cannon Dial Elm Club in the fall of 2011. The club will be selective.
The Eating Clubs and their members have figured prominently among Princeton alumni active in careers in literature and the performing arts. For example, the distinguished Pulitzer Prize writer Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams...
, who transformed the Drama Association into the Princeton Triangle Club
Princeton Triangle Club
The Princeton Triangle Club is a theater troupe at Princeton University. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest touring collegiate musical-comedy troupe in the United States, and the only co-ed collegiate troupe that takes an original student-written musical on a national tour every year...
was a prominent member of Ivy Club. F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
was a member of the University Cottage Club. The actor Jimmy Stewart was a member of the Charter Club, and the actress Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
was a member of Cap and Gown.
Eating clubs have sometimes closed and among those several clubs have returned to active life. The Cloisters Club was reopened in the 1970s and continues successfully. Some closed eating clubs have been purchased by the University for use as academic and administrative buildings. Dial Lodge is now the Bendheim Center for Finance
Bendheim Center for Finance
The Bendheim Center for Finance is an interdisciplinary research center established by Princeton University in 1998. -History:In 1998, Princeton University established the Bendheim Center for Finance to encourage interdisciplinary research in finance from a quantitative or mathematical perspective...
; Elm Club temporarily housed the Classics Department and European Cultural Studies Program and is the new home of the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding. Cannon Club was briefly converted into Notestein Hall, an office for the University Writing Center, but has since been repurchased by alumni. The donation of Campus Club to the University for use as a space for social events was completed in 2006.
In 1979, undergraduate Sally Frank filed suit against then all-male clubs Ivy Club, Cottage Club, and Tiger Inn for gender discrimination. While Cottage chose to coeducate during the intervening years, Ivy Club and Tiger Inn made the decision to become co-ed organizations later in 1991, 22 years after Princeton first admitted female students. In the case of the Tiger Inn, the decision to admit women was a voluntary choice on membership rules made by the undergraduate members.
The eating clubs have attracted controversy, being viewed as elitist
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
institutions. (Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
was, in part, driven from Princeton by alumni and administrators because he loathed the effect the clubs had on academic and social life.) A major part of the controversy was the difference in cost between joining an eating club and buying a university dining plan. By 2006, the difference was over $2,000 for most clubs, and this difference was not covered by university financial aid. In November 2006, Princeton administrators announced that they would increase upperclass financial aid packages by $2,000, in order to cover the difference in costs. However, as of December 2009, there was still a "significant discrepancy" between the university financial aid package and the cost of some clubs.
Historical list of Princeton eating clubs
| Name | Years of Operation | Location | Historical Photos |
Year Clubhouse Constructed |
Sign-in/Bicker | Year co-ed | Status of Clubhouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ivy Club The Ivy Club The Ivy Club is the oldest eating club at Princeton University. It was founded in 1879 with Arthur Hawley Scribner as its first head. The members of each class are selected through the bicker process, a series of ten screening interviews, which are followed by discussions amongst the members as... |
1879-current | 43 Prospect Ave | link | 1897 | Bicker | 1991 | current site of club |
| 1886-current | 51 Prospect Ave | link | 1906 | Bicker | 1986 | current site of club | |
| Tiger Inn Tiger Inn The Tiger Inn is one of the ten active eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. Tiger Inn was founded in 1890 and is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton .. Tiger Inn is the third oldest Eating Club... |
1890-current | 48 Prospect Ave | link | 1895 | Bicker | 1991 | current site of club |
| Cap and Gown Club Cap and Gown Club Cap and Gown Club, founded in 1890, is an eating club at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Colloquially known as "Cap", the club is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton . Members are selected through a selective process called bicker... |
1890-current | 61 Prospect Ave | link | 1908 | Bicker | 1970 | current site of club |
| Colonial Club Colonial Club Colonial Club is one of the ten current eating clubs of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1891, it is the fifth oldest of the clubs. It is located on 40 Prospect Avenue.... |
1891-current | 40 Prospect Ave | link | 1906 | Sign-in | 1969 | current site of club |
| Cannon Club | 1895–1975, reopening fall 2011 | 21 Prospect Ave | link | 1910 | Bicker | Upon reopening in 2011 | sold to Princeton University, renamed Notestein Hall; repurchased by alumni |
| Elm Club | 1895–1973, | 58 Prospect Ave | link | 1901 | Sign-in | 1970 | sold to Princeton University, now the Carl A. Fields Center |
| Campus Club Campus Club Campus Club was one of the undergraduate eating clubs at Princeton University. Located on the corner of Washington Road and Prospect Avenue, Campus was founded in 1900... |
1900–2005 | 5 Prospect Ave | link | 1909 | Sign-in | 1970 | donated to Princeton University, reopened as a student lounge |
| Princeton Charter Club Princeton Charter Club The Princeton Charter Club is one of Princeton University's ten active undergraduate eating clubs located on or near Prospect Avenue in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.-Club history:... |
1901-current | 79 Prospect Ave | link | 1913 | Sign-in | 1970 | current site of club |
| Quadrangle Club Quadrangle Club The Princeton Quadrangle Club, often abbreviated to "Quad", is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University that remain open. Located at 33 Prospect Avenue, the club is currently "sign-in," meaning it permits any second semester sophomore, junior or senior to join... |
1901-current | 33 Prospect Ave | link | 1916 | Sign-in | 1970 | current site of club |
| Princeton Tower Club Princeton Tower Club Princeton Tower Club is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, and one of five clubs to choose its members through a selective process called bicker... |
1902-current | 13 Prospect Ave | link | 1917 | Bicker | 1971 | current site of club |
| Terrace Club Terrace Club Terrace F. Club is one of the ten current eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Terrace was founded in 1904 as the twelfth club at Princeton... |
1904-current | 62 Washington Rd | link | 1920 (pre-existing building) | Sign-in | 1969 | current site of club |
| Key and Seal Club | 1904–1968 | 83 Prospect Ave | link | 1925 | Bicker | Never | sold to Princeton University, formerly part of Stevenson Hall, now the Bobst Center for Peace and Justice |
| Dial Lodge | 1907–1988 | 26 Prospect Ave | link | 1917 | Sign-in | 1970 | sold to Princeton University, now the Bendheim Center for Finance Bendheim Center for Finance The Bendheim Center for Finance is an interdisciplinary research center established by Princeton University in 1998. -History:In 1998, Princeton University established the Bendheim Center for Finance to encourage interdisciplinary research in finance from a quantitative or mathematical perspective... |
| Arch Club | 1911–1917 | on Washington Rd | link | 1914 (pre-existing building) | Bicker | Never | demolished; now the site of the Woodrow Wilson School |
| Cloister Inn Cloister Inn Cloister Inn is one of the undergraduate eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1912, Cloister occupies a neo-Gothic building on Prospect Avenue, between Cap and Gown Club and Charter Club. Cloister closed temporarily in 1972, becoming open to all... |
1912–1972, | 65 Prospect Ave | link | 1924 | Sign-in | 1970 | current site of club |
| Gateway Club | 1913–1937 | 70 Washington Rd | link | 1927 (pre-existing building) | Bicker | Never | demolished; now the site of the Center for Jewish Life |
| Court Club | 1921–1964 | 91 Prospect Ave | link | 1927 | Bicker | Never | sold to Princeton University, formerly part of Stevenson Hall, now home to "Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations" |
| Arbor Inn | 1923–1939 | 5 Ivy Lane | link | 1935 | Bicker | Never | sold to Princeton University, now the Center for the Study of Religion |
| Prospect Club | 1941–1959 | link | 1927 | Bicker | Never | demolished; now the site of the Center for Jewish Life | |
| Dial, Elm and Cannon (DEC) | 1990–1998 | 58 Prospect Ave | link | 1901 | Sign-in | 1990 | sold to Princeton University, now the Carl A. Fields Center |
Bicker
The five selective eating clubs pick new members in a process called "bicker".
Additionally, some bicker clubs conduct a smaller "Fall Bicker" for third and fourth year students. Admission numbers during fall bicker are typically much lower than those of spring bicker, as fall bicker is a chance for clubs to adjust their membership numbers to account for members who may have dropped club membership during the spring semester or over the summer.
Bicker clubs hold parties with restricted admission more frequently than their sign-in counterparts. Such events often require that non-members present a pass, a colored card bearing the club's insignia, in order to enter. Non-members may also gain entry to parties at some bicker clubs by entering with a member, or through membership in the Inter-Club Council.
Sign-ins
The five non-selective eating clubs pick new members in a process called "sign-ins."Students rank the five sign-in clubs, or wait-lists for those clubs, in their order of preference. If more students choose a club as their first choice than that club is able to accept as members, a random lottery is used to determine which students are accepted. The remaining students are then placed into their second choice club or wait list, provided it has not filled, in which case they would be placed into their third choice, and so on.
Students who choose to bicker and are not admitted to a club via sign-in are immediately placed into a second-round sign-in where they will be placed into their top choice of club that has not filled. While not every student will get into their first choice of club, either through sign-in or bicker, every student seeking membership has been placed into one of the clubs, though sometimes after a significant waiting period.
Alternatives
For upperclassmen who choose not to join the eating clubs, there are alternative social/eating options. These include:- University dining facilities, usually by drawing back into an underclass residential college. Residential Advisors in the colleges can be eating club members, but are required by the University to take some of their meals in their college. Starting in the 2007–2008 Academic year, upperclassmen have the option of joining one of the new four year residential colleges instead of an eating club. The four year colleges are Whitman College, Mathey College and Butler College as of fall 2009. All three colleges have new dining halls that are more competitive with the food offered in the clubs.
- The Center for Jewish Life, a Kosher dining hall.
- Independent life. Students who cook for themselves are referred to as "independents." While kitchens are located in many dormitories on campus, the most favorable option of independents are the Spelman Halls. These dorms are composed mostly of four-person suites (but there are some doubles) with private baths and kitchens.
- Student Co-ops: student co-ops are becoming an increasingly popular option on campus. Students rotate cooking once a week, and manage the co-ops themselves. They often have their own social events, including the Co-op Hop, a semi-formal in which all three co-ops showcase their best dishes and desserts.
- The Two Dickinson Street Co-opTwo Dickinson Street Co-opThe Two Dickinson Street Co-op, or 2D, is one of the three student dining co-ops at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. 2D is a 50-member vegetarian cooperative located across the street from the Princeton University campus.2D is an alternative to the eating clubs, which constitute the...
, a 40-member vegetarian co-op located immediately off campus in a university-owned house. - The Brown Co-op, a non-vegetarian co-op located in Brown Hall, an on-campus dormitory building.
- The International Food Co-op (IFC)http://theifc.wordpress.com/, a co-op that features international cuisine and members from around the world. The IFC is located in Laughlin Hall.
- The Two Dickinson Street Co-op
- Fraternities and sororities are a complementary social option to the eating clubs, but their organizations are not recognized by the University. Most fraternity/sorority members also join eating clubs.
- Class societies (analogous to Yale's secret societies) such as Phi /fē/
External links
- Mudd Manuscript Library: Eating Clubs Records, 1879-2005, provides a history and list of materials in the library.
- Eating clubs, section from Alexander Leitch, A Princeton Companion, Princeton University Press (1978).
- Chapter XI: The Eating Clubs of Prospect, from Princeton University, An Interactive Campus History, 1746-1996; provides a history and several photos of each club.