Terrace Club
Encyclopedia
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. It is located at 62 Washington Road, making it the only one of Princeton's current eating clubs that is not on Prospect Avenue.
system of the other five clubs. Along with Campus
, Colonial
, and Cloister
, Terrace switched from bicker to the sign-in system during the politically turbulent 1960s. Terrace was one of the first of the clubs to accept Jewish, African-American, and female members, and today is considered on campus to be the most "alternative," politically liberal eating club. Often, members are stereotyped according to this reputation, but the actual membership is very diverse in terms of background, sense of style, and academic interests. From 2000 to 2008, Terrace has been a popular choice for sophomores, filling all of its membership slots either during first round sign-in or by the end of the second round.
Terrace's motto is "Food=Love," and has been since the mid-eighties. The food is served cafeteria-style and is famous for being more "vegetarian friendly" than other clubs. Members of Terrace often refer to the club as "TFC" or "Terrace F. Club". These monikers grew out of the nickname "Terrace Flaming Club", which was coined after a fire of mysterious origin significantly damaged the club's building on December 14, 1987. The fire also inspired the now-defunct motto, "Gas up, get wild, burn down, rebuild....Terrace: The Flammable Family." The meaning of the F has been expanded to include many other interpretations over the years.
From 1977 until 1984, while many of the sign-in clubs were faltering Terrace was kept alive by Chef Larry Frazer. As an attempt to attract new members Chef Frazer began cooking vegetarian meals. This was an entirely new concept at Princeton and is nowadays an assumed item on all of the Princeton menus. Students can thank Chef Frazer and Terrace Club for starting vegetarianism as an accepted alternative dining choice. Chef Frazer was actually married in Terrace Club in 1982 with the officers acting as attendants and guitarist extaordinaire Stanley Jordan as the musical performer. He was also an old friend of Chef Barton Rouse and when he decided to move to Campus Club he hired Barton to take his place.
Much of the reputation Terrace enjoys today grew out the leadership and love of its Chef, the late Barton Rouse, the creative force behind Terrace's parties and excellent food from the eightes to late nineties, when he died. Barton was the originator of the Food=Love motto, which is carried on today by Chef Olin Noren and sous-chef Ben Arfa and the Terrace kitchen crew. Terrace is often referred to by club members as "the mother," "mother Terrace," or "the womb," and members often refer to themselves as "Terrans."
Weekend events at Terrace often include concerts of indie-scene bands from a variety of genres, including rock, hip-hop, salsa
, jazz
, and electronica
. Unlike the other eating clubs, Terrace rarely hires DJs for dancing. Indeed, it is not uncommon for Terrace to have more nights of live music in a given weekend than all of the other nine clubs put together. Many notable artists and groups, including Yo La Tengo
, GWAR
, Elliott Smith
, Run DMC, Modest Mouse
, The Flaming Lips
, Vampire Weekend
, Girl Talk
, GZA
and Immortal Technique
played at Terrace before they were nationally well-known. Terrace also hosts the Queer Radicals' annual Drag Ball in October or November.
, and had been relocated to Olden Street from Cap's current location. It served as a temporary home for many eating clubs while their own buildings were under construction or being renovated.
In 1906, the club relocated to the current Washington Road
location, which was occupied by a house in the Colonial Revival style which had formerly belonged to faculty member John Grier Hibben. This building was remodeled by architect Frederick Stone in the 1920s to the current configuration with its Tudor
-style exterior.
A tea party at Terrace in 1936 is credited as the birthplace of the idea for the short-lived Veterans of Future Wars
, an organization that satirized the acceleration of bonus payments to World War I veterans by demanding that its young members be similarly paid for the services they would render their country in conflicts to come.
In 1967, Terrace became the first club to abandon the Bicker process. Terrace Club and Colonial Club were the first clubs to accept women following the University's decision to admit women in 1969. In 2011, Terrace became the first club to offer membership to graduate students.
Terrace members traditionally complete an "offering" upon joining the club as sophomores. The "offerings" usually involve creating minor acts of humorous mayhem around campus.
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, United States. Terrace was founded in 1904 as the twelfth club at Princeton. It is located at 62 Washington Road, making it the only one of Princeton's current eating clubs that is not on Prospect Avenue.
Membership and culture
Terrace is one of the five clubs to use a nonselective lottery "sign-in" system to determine membership, as opposed to the selective bickerBicker
Bicker may refer to*Bicker, Lincolnshire*Bicker, a practice in the eating clubs at Princeton University and Mount Olive College*Bicker , a Dutch Golden Age family, headed by Andries Bicker...
system of the other five clubs. Along with Campus
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...
, Colonial
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....
, and Cloister
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...
, Terrace switched from bicker to the sign-in system during the politically turbulent 1960s. Terrace was one of the first of the clubs to accept Jewish, African-American, and female members, and today is considered on campus to be the most "alternative," politically liberal eating club. Often, members are stereotyped according to this reputation, but the actual membership is very diverse in terms of background, sense of style, and academic interests. From 2000 to 2008, Terrace has been a popular choice for sophomores, filling all of its membership slots either during first round sign-in or by the end of the second round.
Terrace's motto is "Food=Love," and has been since the mid-eighties. The food is served cafeteria-style and is famous for being more "vegetarian friendly" than other clubs. Members of Terrace often refer to the club as "TFC" or "Terrace F. Club". These monikers grew out of the nickname "Terrace Flaming Club", which was coined after a fire of mysterious origin significantly damaged the club's building on December 14, 1987. The fire also inspired the now-defunct motto, "Gas up, get wild, burn down, rebuild....Terrace: The Flammable Family." The meaning of the F has been expanded to include many other interpretations over the years.
From 1977 until 1984, while many of the sign-in clubs were faltering Terrace was kept alive by Chef Larry Frazer. As an attempt to attract new members Chef Frazer began cooking vegetarian meals. This was an entirely new concept at Princeton and is nowadays an assumed item on all of the Princeton menus. Students can thank Chef Frazer and Terrace Club for starting vegetarianism as an accepted alternative dining choice. Chef Frazer was actually married in Terrace Club in 1982 with the officers acting as attendants and guitarist extaordinaire Stanley Jordan as the musical performer. He was also an old friend of Chef Barton Rouse and when he decided to move to Campus Club he hired Barton to take his place.
Much of the reputation Terrace enjoys today grew out the leadership and love of its Chef, the late Barton Rouse, the creative force behind Terrace's parties and excellent food from the eightes to late nineties, when he died. Barton was the originator of the Food=Love motto, which is carried on today by Chef Olin Noren and sous-chef Ben Arfa and the Terrace kitchen crew. Terrace is often referred to by club members as "the mother," "mother Terrace," or "the womb," and members often refer to themselves as "Terrans."
Weekend events at Terrace often include concerts of indie-scene bands from a variety of genres, including rock, hip-hop, salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. Unlike the other eating clubs, Terrace rarely hires DJs for dancing. Indeed, it is not uncommon for Terrace to have more nights of live music in a given weekend than all of the other nine clubs put together. Many notable artists and groups, including Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
, GWAR
GWAR
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, Run DMC, Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
, The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
, Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
, 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....
, GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
and Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
played at Terrace before they were nationally well-known. Terrace also hosts the Queer Radicals' annual Drag Ball in October or November.
History
As was then common practice for newly-founded eating clubs, when Terrace Club began in 1904, the members dined in a building on Olden Street known as "The Incubator". This small structure had previously been the original home of Cap & GownCap 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...
, and had been relocated to Olden Street from Cap's current location. It served as a temporary home for many eating clubs while their own buildings were under construction or being renovated.
In 1906, the club relocated to the current Washington Road
County Route 571 (New Jersey)
County Route 571, abbreviated CR 571, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Route 37 in Toms River Township to Route 27 in the Borough of Princeton.-Ocean County:...
location, which was occupied by a house in the Colonial Revival style which had formerly belonged to faculty member John Grier Hibben. This building was remodeled by architect Frederick Stone in the 1920s to the current configuration with its Tudor
Tudorbethan architecture
The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...
-style exterior.
A tea party at Terrace in 1936 is credited as the birthplace of the idea for the short-lived Veterans of Future Wars
Veterans of Future Wars
Veterans of Future Wars was an organization formed as a prank by Princeton University students in 1936. The group was a satirical reaction to a bill granting the early payment of bonuses to World War I veterans as articulated in their manifesto:...
, an organization that satirized the acceleration of bonus payments to World War I veterans by demanding that its young members be similarly paid for the services they would render their country in conflicts to come.
In 1967, Terrace became the first club to abandon the Bicker process. Terrace Club and Colonial Club were the first clubs to accept women following the University's decision to admit women in 1969. In 2011, Terrace became the first club to offer membership to graduate students.
Notable traditions
Terrace members are supposed to insert the phrase "FOOD=LOVE" into either their Junior Project or their Senior thesis.Terrace members traditionally complete an "offering" upon joining the club as sophomores. The "offerings" usually involve creating minor acts of humorous mayhem around campus.
Notable alumni
- Harold MedinaHarold MedinaHarold Raymond Medina, Sr. was an American lawyer, teacher and judge who is most noted for hearing landmark cases of conspiracy and treason.Medina died in 1990 at the age of 102.- Early life :...
1909 - Lawyer and Judge notable for hearing landmark cases of conspiracy and treason - Mel FerrerMel FerrerMel Ferrer was an American actor, film director and film producer.-Early life:Ferrer was born Melchor Gastón Ferrer in Elberon, New Jersey, of Catalan and Irish descent. His father, Dr. José María Ferrer , was born in Cuba, was an authority on pneumonia and served as chief of staff of St....
'39 - Actor, Film Director and Producer - Russell E. TrainRussell E. TrainRussell Errol Train was the second Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency , from September 1973 to January 1977, and the Founder Chairman Emeritus of World Wildlife Fund . As head of the EPA under U.S...
'41 - President of World Wildlife Fund, 1978-1985 - Galway KinnellGalway KinnellGalway Kinnell is an American poet. He was Poet Laureate of Vermont from 1989 to 1993. An admitted follower of Walt Whitman, Kinnell rejects the idea of seeking fulfillment by escaping into the imaginary world. His best-loved and most anthologized poems are "St...
'48 - Poet, translator, and author - Madison Smartt BellMadison Smartt BellMadison Smartt Bell is an American novelist. He was raised Nashville, and lived in New York, and London before settling in Baltimore, Maryland....
'79 - Novelist - Stanley JordanStanley JordanStanley Jordan is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist, best known for his development of the tapping technique for the guitar....
'81 - jazz guitarist - Walter KirnWalter KirnWalter Kirn is an American novelist, literary critic, and essayist. His latest book is the 2009 memoir Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever.-Overview:...
'83 - Novelist and Literary Critic - Jonathan AmesJonathan AmesJonathan Ames is an American author who has written a number of novels and comic memoirs. He was a columnist for the New York Press for several years, and became known for self-deprecating tales of his sexual misadventures. He also has a long-time envy of boxing, appearing occasionally in the ring...
'86/'87 - writer, raconteur & performance artist, creator of HBO's Bored to DeathBored to DeathBored to Death is an American comedy series, which premiered on HBO on September 20, 2009. , three seasons have aired, each consisting of eight episodes. The show was created by author Jonathan Ames, and stars Jason Schwartzman as a fictional Jonathan Ames – a writer based in Brooklyn, New York... - Todd WiderTodd WiderTodd Wider is an American plastic surgeon and Emmy Award winning film producer based in New York, who is active in documentary filmmaking.-Education:...
'86 - Todd Wider is an American plastic surgeon and Emmy Award winning film producer based in New York, who is active in documentary filmmaking. - Theodore ZoliTheodore ZoliTheodore P. Zoli, P.E. is an American structural engineer, and a leading designer of cable-stayed bridges.-Life:Zoli graduated from Princeton University with a B.S. in 1988, and from the California Institute of Technology with an M.S. in 1989. Since 1990, he has worked for HNTB Corporation, where...
'88 - American structural engineer, and a leading designer of cable-stayed bridges. 2009 MacArthur Fellows ProgramMacArthur Fellows ProgramThe MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T... - E. Randol SchoenbergE. Randol SchoenbergE. Randol Schoenberg is a U.S. attorney, based in Los Angeles, California. He is the grandson of the Austrian composers Arnold Schoenberg and Eric Zeisl....
'88 - a U.S. attorney, based in Los Angeles, California. Successful case in Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Republic of Austria v. AltmannRepublic of Austria v. AltmannRepublic of Austria v. Altmann, 541 U.S. 677 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act applies retroactively...
in 2004. President of the Los Angeles Museum of the HolocaustLos Angeles Museum of the HolocaustThe Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is a renowned holocaust museum in Los Angeles, California.-History:The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is the oldest holocaust museum in the United States of America. In 1961 at Hollywood High School, a group of holocaust survivors taking English as a...
. - Clifford J. LevyClifford J. LevyClifford J. Levy is an investigative journalist for The New York Times.Levy is a graduate of New Rochelle High School and Princeton University in 1989....
'89 - Winner of a Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in 2003 for the New York Times - Mohsin HamidMohsin HamidMohsin Hamid is a Pakistani author best known for his novels Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist .- Biography :...
'93 - Author - Peter MoskosPeter MoskosPeter Moskos is a former Baltimore Police Department officer who is currently an assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center in the Department of Sociology...
'94 - Author of 'Cop in the Hood' - Timothy FerrissTimothy FerrissTimothy Ferriss is an American author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. In 2007, he published The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, which was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. In 2010, he followed up with The 4-Hour Body...
'00 - Entrepreneur, Investor & Author of 'The 4-Hour WorkweekThe 4-Hour WorkweekThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich is a semi-autobiographical self-help book written by Timothy Ferriss, an American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur....
' - Jonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran Foer is an American author best known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...
'00 - author
External links
- Official Terrace Club Website
- History and culture of the clubs, at Princeton's official site.
- List of shows at Terrace