Follow us on Instagram
Try our daily mini crossword
Play our latest news quiz
Download our new app on iOS/Android!

Eating clubs draw high numbers, breathing new life into Colonial

The busiest week on Prospect Avenue ended Saturday with 932 students — more than 80 percent of the sophomore class — joining eating clubs through Bicker and sign-ins, according to ICC Advisor Marty Crotty '98.

Ivy Club had the highest selectivity rate, accepting only 64 of the 145 students who bickered. Tower Club accepted 89 of the 130 students. Cap and Gown Club accepted 80 of 112 Bickerees, and Tiger Inn accepted 78 of 109 Bickerees, Crotty said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cottage Club accepted 87 of 116 Bickerees, according to Crotty. Cottage president Grainger David '00 said, however, that by the second day of Bicker, 131 students were seeking membership in the club.

Ninety-four students were offered club memberships in second-round sign-ins. Colonial Club had the largest second-round sign-in with 53 students, raising its total sophomore membership to 98, higher than any other club.

Quadrangle Club and Cloister Inn filled, accepting 20 and 10 students, respectively. Campus Club, the only club not to fill, attracted 11 students.

Colonial

Colonial president Melissa Waage '01 said she believed this year's sign-ins were a success. "I feel excellent about it," Waage said. "Going from a sign-in of 20-something to a sign-in of 98 in a year will definitely revitalize the club."

"I feel we attracted a lot of people who got hosed in Bicker but still want to have a great time in a club," Waage said. "We're going to throw lots of good parties and keep our members happy."

Campus had a lower turnout than the other clubs, attracting only 35 new members this year. These results are similar to Colonial's low sign-in turnout last year, when the club attracted only 34 new members.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I'm not thrilled about it, but you can't be too upset with it," said Campus social chair Eric Berg '01 said. "I'm trying to stay optimistic."

"Although Campus is not full, I think that people will decide to join there after they have some time to think about it," Crotty said. "It is a very hard situation to be in when you only have 24 hours or less to make a second-round decision. I applaud all those who came out."

Bicker

The Bicker clubs are enjoying increased popularity compared to recent years, according to Crotty. During the past two years, the total number of sophomores bickering has increased by 20 percent. This year, Bicker clubs accepted a total of 398 students, almost 50 more than last year, according to numbers provided by Crotty.

ICC president and Tower Club president Will Staples '00 said he was pleased with Bicker at his club. "Bicker at Tower went fabulously, and we were very excited about the number of students who turned out," he said. "We had the second-highest turnout number of students and the second-highest selectivity rate on the 'Street.' "

Subscribe
Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Attracting about 100 students, second-round sign-ins maintained success similar to that of the past few years. "I'm happy that people came out in good numbers for second-round sign-ins," Crotty said. "Overall, [there was] excellent participation, great balance and the prospect for even better things to come throughout the spring and early fall."

Some students said they were surprised about the high number of people who bickered. "I bickered Ivy and was expecting a lot fewer people," explained one sophomore who was accepted to Ivy but asked not to be identified. "I guess more people are bickering because they want to be in the elite clubs."

"Some people might bicker because they like being exclusive and the elusive atmosphere of not having to get passes," said Joanna Ganson '02, who received a bid from Tower.

Though more students bickered this year than previous years, many students are still deterred by the Bicker process. "[Joining a sign-in club] wasn't a hassle and it wasn't pretentious," said Amy Chen '02, who joined Quad. "I didn't have to worry if I was cool enough. It was very easy, and I'm happy."

"It was a pretty easy decision for me," said Allison Burmeister '02, who joined Cloister. "I row, and a lot of my teammates are members. I'm just comfortable at Cloister."