As many sophomores prepare for their first Houseparties as members of eating clubs, this is an appropriate time to suggest an improvement to the spring bicker and sign-in processes. University financial aid eases the burden of eating club membership for ...(back to the article)
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P.S. I should mention that the treasurer was correct. Colonial was not speaking to the 'Prince' at that time.
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I should have said that there was an attempt to contact the president. In the case of Colonial, the treasurer was contacted first because the reporter believed that the treasurer was the appropriate person to contact for information about dues. The treasurer informed the reporter that only president could comment about the matter and that he would not be talking to the press. The reporter did not directly contact the president because he assumed that the treasurer had the authority to state the club's official policy on speaking to the 'Prince' at the time. The president of Colonial and I have discussed this matter since it became clear that he was never directly contacted.
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So Ken, is this still true ... "[p]rior to the publication of this particular editorial, all eating club presidents were contacted"? The details don't seem to match.
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Colonial President: An editorial board member contacted the treasurer of Colonial club the week of Apr. 6. He asked that he be put in touch with the president. He was informed that the president was not speaking to the Daily Princetonian at all. I will send you further details about our contact with Colonial club via email.
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Ken, I was not contacted about sophomore dues at all, or even made aware that there was an article coming.
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Reality: This editorial does not judge whether or not the sophomore fees are reasonable. We believe that it is the clubs' prerogative to determine their fees. We also do not accuse the clubs of trying to trick any one. We do believe that it is the clubs' responsibility to let sophomores know what is expected from them before they commit to joining a club. Finally, as the editorial mentions, we believe that it is laudable that clubs are willing to work with "sophomores who are in need of assistance."
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It is not the eating clubs' intention to trick anybody. The fees charged during the sophomore spring are reasonable for the meals of different amounts and the social costs of events and maintenance. The reality that the clubs are facing is that is has become more expensive to run them as opposed to 10 years ago. Security for every event is not cheap. Lawyers for various reason (especially the last 2 years) are certainly not cheap. The clubs need both of these things in order to stay afloat. In 4 days much of the student body will make their way out to the street for lawnparties, which is certainly not cheap. Many sophomores have been enjoying the social scene at the clubs for a year and a half before paying dues. The clubs are in a fickle financial situation. Some have membership problems, some have legal problems that are expensive. Asking sophomores to contribute is not unreasonable. Most clubs will work out an arrangement with sophomores who are in need of assistance in paying that because if they drop the club because they cannot pay, the club takes a hit because they do not get the membership fees from that student for the next two years.
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Prior to the publication of this particular editorial, all eating club presidents were contacted. One president responded with the full information requested. The rest declined to comment or did not respond at all.
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Being an officer in an eating club myself, I have to admit that the Prince has been really bad about contacting club officers about information. The Prince reporters usually contact a random member in the club instead of the officers. The same thing happened with the article on study abroad and clubs as well. I would really advise the Prince to get contact info of all the officers on the street and emailing them instead of random members.
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An editorial board member emailed the president of the Princeton Charter Club asking for comment approximately 3 weeks ago. No reply was received.
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I agree that the membership fees and dues I was asked to help provide did come as a bit of a surprise and the total was more than $500 and less than $1000. Although we supported the idea of joining an eating club it would have helped to know about the timing and amount of these expenses before hand. I did not see this information anywhere I looked either.
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I agree that clubs need to be more upfront about fees. I didn't find any clear documentation of house party fees, nor were any clear mentions made of "extra" social fees. At least make it very clear from the beginning what the total cost of a semester will come out to. In person, if not online.
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I would appreciate being asked to comment the next time you ask for comment from the Charter Officers, considering I'm the only one who can speak to you.
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Chartan: It is our understanding that the "initiation fee that all members pay" is paid upon acceptance into the club. Presumably sophomore members pay their initiation fees as sophomores. It is also our understanding that there are other fees that are assessed over the course of the sophomore year in addition to the initiation fee and sophomore dues.
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Our numbers include the total cost of membership for the sophomore year. If you add the initiation fee, "other" fees, and the sophomore member ship fee, it is our understanding that the total cost approaches $500. Charter Club officers declined to comment for this article.
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the article is wrong anyway. Charter's sophomore dues are 200 plus an initiation fee that all members pay; at least they were last year. Not 500 as whoever wrote this thing reported.
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They're not posted anywhere on my sign-in club's site, nor could I find them at TI, Cottage, the vine (IVY) nor Tower. Quite frankly, you're full of it.
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Actually the costs are well documented on the ICC website for sign-ins and on club websites. More fine reporting from the Prince.
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Sophmore dues should be covered by financial aid, the same way junior and senior dues are covered now. Of course, the alternative is to do what I did -- take out a loan from the financial aid office to cover the cost. It was very worth it, and I'd do it again in a heart beat.
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"While subsidizing social dues at eating clubs is not an appropriate role for the University." Why not, exactly? I mean, if they cover part of the cost for juniors and seniors (and some of that money goes to social events, not just food) why shouldn't this apply to sophomores, too? It's this kind of thinking that keeps Eating Clubs segregated by class. No way could I afford $1200 in the spring of my sophomore year, and my parents couldn't afford it either, even if I felt comfortable asking them.
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