Campus Club to replace sign-in by hand picking new members

Struggling with falling numbers, the Campus Club graduate board announced Monday it would take a new approach to finding sophomore members. Starting with the Class of 2005, Campus will limit its membership to 50 students per class and begin actively recruiting new members this fall.

Members of Campus' graduate board have decided to move away from the sign-in process.

For years, the graduate board has been considering this change with the intentions of creating a new atmosphere at Campus, club president Dan Hantman '03 said.

Though Campus filled its enrollment with nearly 100 members as recently as 2001, the club has suffered from low sign-ins the past three years.

This spring they initiated 35 sophomores into the club. With the new system, the graduate board and club officers hope to achieve a balanced membership by inviting in 50 new members each year.

"When the membership fluctuates year after year, it's not always good for the club," Hantman said. "By keeping the admittance rate consistent year after year, finances will eventually even out and the club will have to worry less about what it can and can't do each year."

Maintenance of clubs is difficult and can be very expensive, especially with the high tax and insurance rates in Princeton Borough, said David Willard '60, chair of the Graduate Inter-Club Council.

In the past, many clubs have struggled for survival after being threatened by low numbers. In 1999, Colonial Club suffered two consecutive years of low sign-ins but rebounded in the spring of 2000. Quadrangle Club is also currently facing low membership.

"Survival of clubs is a very important matter," Willard said. "To lose even one club could be detrimental to the entire system."

The inaugural year of Campus' program will involve rolling membership to the club, with the hopes that sophomores will encourage their friends to also commit early, Hantman said. In subsequent years, Campus will return to adding members during the usual time of late January and early February, he said.

"What we are aiming to do is to identify sophomores that are enthusiastic about Campus," Hantman said. "The goal is to get people to think about committing to Campus early. That way, they can be involved in club activities sooner and get to know each other better."

Campus is looking mainly to stabilize its numbers and create a small but intimate club atmosphere, he said. The system will primarily operate on a "first come, first serve" basis until the desired number of 50 is reached, but at the latest through February, he said.

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

"I can't really say a cap at 50 is all that meaningful for the club right now," said a Campus member who asked not be named.

The last major shift in member enrollment policy was in the 1970s when the current sign-in clubs switched their process from Bicker to sign-in, Tim Szostek '02, Inter-Club Council adviser, wrote in an e-mail.

The eating clubs serve the University community by providing dining options for upperclassmen, said William Selden '34, who has written a book titled "Club Life at Princeton." Through the years, they have expanded their enrollment to compensate for the growth of the student body.

Now that the student body is set to increase by 500 over the next few years, Campus' decision may affect how the University will handle dining options for all upperclassmen in the future, he said.