Club presidents surprised by new task force

Several eating club presidents said they were surprised by the Thursday announcement of the Task Force on the Relationships Between the University and the Eating Clubs, adding that they were not consulted about its creation or briefed about its goals beyond the University press release.

Cloister Inn president and Interclub Council (ICC) president Aran Clair ’10 said he was first told about the creation of the task force the night before it was officially announced, when USG president Connor Diemand-Yauman ’10 invited Clair to serve on the task force selection committee.

“We haven’t gotten together about the task force yet,” Clair explained. “Basically I know what was in the press release and what the ‘Prince’ wrote.”

Club presidents expressed concern about the vague charge of the task force, announced by President Tilghman and Diemand-Yauman.

“The general feel is not so much against [the task force] as [it is] hesitant, because I don’t feel like the group has a defined purpose yet,” said Jeremy, a sign-in club president who spoke on the condition of anonymity and whose name has been changed accordingly.

“What’s the point of this group?” he asked. “Is this going to tackle some peripheral issues, some issues we all care about — like sexual assault or things like that — or is it going to look at the big picture — does Bicker get to stay? We’re waiting for more information.”

Alfred, a second sign-in club president whose name has also been changed, echoed this worry. “The worst thing about the task force is that no one knows actually what’s going on,” he said.

Jeremy expressed frustration that all club presidents were not contacted before the official announcement last Thursday.

“Connor kept it secret,” Alfred said. Neither Jeremy nor Alfred were informed of the task force’s creation by Diemand-Yauman prior to the public announcement.

Diemand-Yauman said in an e-mail that he had “privately consulted a couple of the eating club presidents about three months ago, during the task force’s nascent stages.”

ICC adviser Tim Prugar ’06 also said he learned of the task force on the day of the official announcement, adding that the ICC will convene this evening for its weekly meeting.

“All the presidents, myself and Dean [Maria] Flores-Mills will be having a thorough discussion about what the goals and aims of this task force are and in what ways the club and the council can contribute to the aims of the task force,” Prugar said.

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Club presidents were hesitant to voice opinions about the task force’s agenda.

Quadrangle Club president Zackory Burns ’10 said that he and the Quad graduate board were “open to dialogue, but we’re sort of not in a committed stance yet.”

“We haven’t formed an opinion,” he added. “But we’re optimistic that it could be positive to have the University connected [to the clubs].”

Alfred said that presidents of the Bicker clubs were “not sure if they’re going to be getting attacked in this … We don’t really care so much about Bicker, as long as the whole system doesn’t change.”

Clair said he did not think the task force would attempt to eliminate Bicker.

“I talked to Connor, and he is … absolutely certain that it won’t do anything that the clubs will think is deleterious,” Clair explained.

Though all eating club presidents were contacted for this story, some either declined to comment or did not respond.

The task force is officially charged with considering ways to improve the club experience for members, increasing engagement for non-members, strengthening the relationship between the clubs and residential colleges and examining the application process for students hoping to become members. But the specific topics for the task force to investigate will not be determined until it convenes in October.

The task force will include three faculty members, five University staff members, one or two alumni who serve on club graduate boards and seven undergraduates, Diemand-Yauman said.

Diemand-Yauman will also serve on the task force, and he, together with Clair and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne, will select the other six undergraduate members.

The student membership is expected to include at least one officer from a sign-in club and one from a Bicker club, according to an applicant to the task force who has spoken with Diemand-Yauman. The applicant also spoke on the condition of anonymity.