Bickering Clubs: Why Affiliations Matter
Steven Brown
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: Opinion
Eating Clubs are not only one of the most longstanding traditions at Princeton, they are one of the most powerful. They first begun in 1878 and since then have been an integral part of the social life here. Currently, more than 2/3 of upperclassmen are members of eating clubs and despite efforts of administrations past and present, their social draw seems to be as powerful as ever. Granted, more than a few eating clubs have come and gone since 1878, but the institution still maintains it's magnetism that continues to draw students year after year. Of course, they're aided by the convenient lack of any other desirable school-offered substitute. Some students join eating clubs every simply because they don't want to cook for themselves and they've gotten tired of the dining halls. The parties and the social options are just a nice fringe benefit. But that's not the main reason that a majority of students join the clubs.
If it was, there would be no reason for bicker to exist. The idea of choosing who will eat and hang out with you is concerned with much more than just eating. To be fair, any sophomore or junior has the opportunity to bicker any of the bicker clubs. The fact that this system is not completely closed and new members are not hand-picked (ala Finals Clubs) means that the prospective members do have some of the power. But do they really? To some degree it's self-selective, most students probably will not seek to bicker clubs they don't think they could get into. That begs the first question of why I chose to write my JP last year on the Eating Clubs. Who exactly are the people that get into the Eating Clubs?
If the people who are attempting to bicker clubs are self-selecting, what are potential members self-selecting into? In other words, what is particular about the eating clubs that draws some students and why is that draw so powerful? If you meet any alum anywhere outside of Princeton, chances are they'll ask three questions after asking your name. They are: what's your year, what was your major, and what club were you in? And if you were in a club or if he was a recent alum and he was in a club, his membership would serve to tell you all these interesting details such as the likelihood to wear their collars popped or unpopped. But in my own thinking, I have always desired to take it a step farther. What was this person like before they joined a club? I've talked to people who have seen their friends change as they got closer to bickering. I've personally seen people change as sophomore spring loomed. Not all at once, but freshmen year you all hang out at Quad together and then slowly your friend is petitioning you to see what's happening at Cap, or Tower, or Cottage. After a while, you split your time until it gets to the point that your friend goes only to T.I. or only to Ivy. Whether or not we would like to admit it, some people change in their pursuit of this inclusiveness.
If it was, there would be no reason for bicker to exist. The idea of choosing who will eat and hang out with you is concerned with much more than just eating. To be fair, any sophomore or junior has the opportunity to bicker any of the bicker clubs. The fact that this system is not completely closed and new members are not hand-picked (ala Finals Clubs) means that the prospective members do have some of the power. But do they really? To some degree it's self-selective, most students probably will not seek to bicker clubs they don't think they could get into. That begs the first question of why I chose to write my JP last year on the Eating Clubs. Who exactly are the people that get into the Eating Clubs?
If the people who are attempting to bicker clubs are self-selecting, what are potential members self-selecting into? In other words, what is particular about the eating clubs that draws some students and why is that draw so powerful? If you meet any alum anywhere outside of Princeton, chances are they'll ask three questions after asking your name. They are: what's your year, what was your major, and what club were you in? And if you were in a club or if he was a recent alum and he was in a club, his membership would serve to tell you all these interesting details such as the likelihood to wear their collars popped or unpopped. But in my own thinking, I have always desired to take it a step farther. What was this person like before they joined a club? I've talked to people who have seen their friends change as they got closer to bickering. I've personally seen people change as sophomore spring loomed. Not all at once, but freshmen year you all hang out at Quad together and then slowly your friend is petitioning you to see what's happening at Cap, or Tower, or Cottage. After a while, you split your time until it gets to the point that your friend goes only to T.I. or only to Ivy. Whether or not we would like to admit it, some people change in their pursuit of this inclusiveness.
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