Charter Club

As Cap & Gown Club puts the finishing touches on its new wing — which officially opened in early February — Tiger Inn renovations are proceeding according to plan and are scheduled to be completed in August 2011. Construction on Charter Club’s new lounge, originally set to be completed in December or January, will begin within the next two weeks and be completed in April.

One year after both Colonial and Quadrangle Clubs experienced particularly low levels of sign-ins and the sign-in clubs faced questions about their long-term sustainability, the clubs saw at least 500 students join last week.

While a restoration of high membership numbers may have returned one club to normalcy in first-round sign-ins, for two others, this year’s sign-ins were an experiment in breaking tradition.

The total number of students placed into their first-choice eating club during the first round of sign-ins is almost 70 students higher than it was last year, according to data released to the club presidents by the Princeton Prospect Foundation on Saturday night. The significant increase is primarily the result of a dramatic rise in first-round sign-ins at Colonial Club. None of the clubs saw a drop in first-round interest, and a few saw modest increases.

Since announcing its new weighted sign-in system in September, Charter Club has held six sophomore events, with activities ranging from a Monday Night Football viewing to a “Fraturday” party. Despite initial concerns that the system represented a move toward greater exclusivity, both current and prospective members of Charter said their experiences have been positive, citing the mutual benefits of the new system to sophomores and the club as a whole.