Exchange students given club spots at Charter

The new policy, proposed by the club’s officers and approved by its board of governors in January, has already been taken advantage of by a female exchange student from Smith College. Menezes declined to provide the name of the student to The Daily Princetonian, citing club policy. The current exchange student from Smith joined the club before the policy started.

“We believe that eating clubs are an integral part of the Princeton experience that students on exchange should have an opportunity [to participate in],” Menezes said. “Additionally, we think that having different backgrounds in our dining room encourages interesting discussions and a diverse club culture. It’s a win-win.”

According to Menezes, these reserved slots offer full club membership to the admitted exchange students. “They are no different from any other active member,” he explained, and noted that the addition of these slots will not affect how many offers of membership are made annually to sophomores. Charter has filled to capacity in the first round of sign-ins for two years in a row.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Maria Flores-Mills, the University’s liaison to the eating clubs, and Deputy Dean of the College Clayton Marsh ’85, who is involved in coordinating exchange programs, declined to comment.

Since the program is new and there is not yet a system in place to determine which visiting students are granted membership, interested visiting students must contact Charter officers to see if space is available.

Interclub Council Chair Christopher Merrick ’08, who said he was not previously aware of Charter’s new policy, said he felt it was a promising step that will allow visiting students to enjoy the unique eating club experience. “If this program works out well then it would not surprise me to see other clubs try it as well,” he said.

Tiger Inn president Ben Barron ’13 said that TI also currently hosts an exchange student, Felix de Monts de Savasse ’14, a student from Sciences Po in Paris who is spending the year at Princeton. Barron said the officers treated de Monts de Savasse like a senior during Bicker as his membership will last only one semester.

De Monts de Savasse, the only international exchange student currently in an eating club, decided to join along with friends from the rugby team, and approached the Bicker process as an opportunity to meet new people.

“Bicker didn’t really mean anything to me at the time. I wasn’t in competition; I just wanted to meet a lot of people,” he explained. “I wanted to get the most out of my Princeton experience.”

Although de Monts de Savasse said he is really enjoying his eating club, he said he feels that it is a feasible option only for students who are visiting for a full year.

“It’s good that the eating clubs are holding slots for exchange students, but if you are only here for 12 weeks there’s no time to get to know the University before picking a club,” he said.