Sophomore worries, waits for eating club decision

The first weeks of Brandon Parry '06's second term are being spent waiting for answers.

Today he'll find out if he got into his eating club of choice.

In a few weeks, he'll know whether he'll be able to major in what he wants.

For Parry, and many other students, the second term of sophomore year is a time of selectivity, reflection and anxiety.

Parry, a student government representative, has only limited control over these answers. He's planning to apply to the Wilson School, which ordinarily accepts only half of its applicants. And earlier this week, he was interviewed ten times at Ivy Club, where he is bickering.

"It makes it feel like [this is] a time of year when you are deciding where you're going to be going," Parry said Wednesday. "I don't think the eating club choice is as big as your major, obviously.

"Woodrow Wilson is something I'd love to do, and the thing with the eating clubs is I really do think I could be as happy one place as another, but it's just certainly a high pressure time. A lot of my friends are also bickering and are applying to Woody Woo or just applying to Woody Woo and have signed in. It's a high stress time for sophomores for sure."

The Wilson School is the University's only selective major. Applicants interested in studying public affairs send in transcripts, statements and letters of recommendation in mid-February. The school has about 90 students per class.

Ivy is one of the six Prospect Avenue eating clubs that use the Bicker process, in which participants take part in interviews and games at the beginning of the second term and then members debate how many bickerees to accept at the end of the week.

Parry said most of his interviews at Ivy lasted at least half an hour. During the interviews, Parry said they talked about a range of topics, not just boring topics like "what's your major, where are you from, what do you do here."

He said that he was certain "that of the 10 [interviewers], at least 3 or 4 of those people — regardless of whether or not I get in — will be people I would like to talk to again or spend time with." Parry said he was nervous that it might be difficult to sustain conversations with his interviewers. But he found that he enjoyed the process and getting to know the members.

"What I was struck by is how different each person was that I met," he said. "Each club has a stereotype, bicker and sign-in, and there were people who met it to a certain degree. But I don't think they were looking for anything in particular. I think they were just looking to try to get to know you and have an honest conversation about whatever interests you and whatever interests the member."

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Parry said he tried to avoid what some other sophomores do.

"I think a lot of people do play mind games and try to figure out what people want to hear," he said, "but I don't think that's the way to go about it. It's not an honest representation of yourself, which I think everyone wants to know. So in every interview I just tried to be myself and try to make a connection, as it were."

For many sophomores, the wait leading up to today can be stressful. But Parry said that even though many students are bickering Ivy, he didn't feel that the atmosphere was all too "intimidating."

"I feel like there are some people who have so much invested in getting in, they want to get in. I want to get in, obviously. I wouldn't have bickered if I didn't, but at the same time if I don't get in, it will be OK. It's not going to be a defining moment in my life whatsoever," he said.

A knock on Parry's door early this morning means that he'll have to try another club. He hopes he can get into Quad off the wait list. But champagne and cheers later in the day will mean he knows where he'll eat and party for the next two years.

"There is always a kind of speculation that flies around. I keep hearing revised numbers of how many people they are cutting and how many people they are letting in, and I think in a lot of ways among the sophomores bickering this kind of anxiety leads to just outpouring of misinformation," he said. "I don't think anyone really knows anything."

"It is certainly stressful. I'm really glad I did it. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. I will carry on," Parry concluded.