Just Dance

While the Eating Clubs themselves may be a very visible part of Princeton's social life, much goes on behind the scenes of these clubs that students rarely get the chance to appreciate. Street sat down with the floor of Tiger Inn to ask him how hard it is to be the floor of an eating club, if there are any highs to such a low job and what he thinks of health-care reform.

Q: So how did you get the job as TI's floor?

A: Well, I started out my life as the floorboards of a sailing vessel, one of those re-creations of old schooners. On that job, I worked hard to keep the deck from getting too wet and slippery. And I suppose that's what made the employment agency think of me when the call came in for very alcohol-resistant flooring. Sure, I've had to adapt to this different job, but my past experiences do come in handy. Slippage is always a concern.

Q: In your long years of hard service at TI, what things have you seen that you think would surprise your average Princetonian?

A: Tuesday mid-afternoons can get crazy! That's when the Princeton Senior Center's Women's Knitting Circle has its weekly Beirut competition. When they take their thimbles off, those ladies are hardcore.

Q: Who has the toughest job at TI - the ceiling, the walls or the floor?

A: Definitely the floor. Sure the ceiling and walls get covered too, but eventually, all of that beer - that sticky, smelly TI beer - drips down onto me. And I don't know if you've noticed, but no one's rushing to clean it up. However, by the end of the night, I'm pretty tipsy, so maybe being the floor isn't so bad after all.

Q: How do you get along with the floors of the rest of the eating clubs?

A: Surprisingly well. Sure, each of us has our own little quirks, but we're all good friends. Campus Club is a weird one, though; he didn't come to our parties for a few years, and now that he's back, he's changed quite a bit. He's quieter, cleaner and not all that popular, to be honest.

Q: It seems that everyone has an opinion about President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul. What do you think of the new health-care reform that was recently signed into law?

A: I'm all for it. You have no idea how tough it's been to find decent - let alone affordable - comprehensive health insurance with as much liver damage as I have. Huzzah for no pre-existing conditions!

Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Guy Wood.