Most women elected eating club presidents since 2002

Four women in the Class of 2016 are eating club presidents or presidents-elect, the most since the Class of 2002, when there were also four.

When theSteering Committee on Undergraduate Women’s Leadershipreleased its final report in 2011, only one woman in the Class of 2011 was president of an eating club. The report found that women tended to gravitate to behind-the-scenes positions in extracurricular activities and noted a decrease in female students holding leadership positions since the beginning of the 2000s.

Grace Larsen ’16, the first woman ever elected president of Tiger Inn,said she wants to improve the club’s image when she takes over the position in September by developing an open line of communication between club leadership and the membership.

“We cannot simply present a good face and hope that the club will eventually mirror that image,” she said. “It is also imperative that membership work both with [the officer corps] and with one another.”

The election results at TI should help to set an example of gender parity in the leadership of prominent campus institutions going forward, Larsen said.

“I plan to set a precedent that your gender or dominance in TI does not make your opinion more valuable,” she said.

While the conception of TI as a male-dominant organization has long been a staple on the Street, Larsen said, women who stand up for their beliefs in clubs are due recognition.

“[Women’s] voices will not be drowned out,” she said. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that the male membership wishes this to be the case.”

Larsen said that the membership was supportive of members who chose to run for office throughout the election process, and added that she did not feel pressure or opposition from her peers because of her gender. She said she ran against a number of other female and male candidates for the presidency, and saw a high turnout for other races.

“I think this shows how the incidents last fall motivated the membership to want to make changes in TI,” she said, referring to the removal of two TI officers from their positions in the fall after one distributed a sexual photograph taken at the club to TI members via email, and the other sent an email appearing to mock activist Sally Frank ’80.

TI is already changing by holding club-wide dialogues, she said.

“[TI has been] even more vigilant in making sure that guests and members are having a good time, but in a safe and healthy way,” she said.

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Swetha Doppalapudi '16, president of Colonial Club, said shehas been working on providing a friendly environment across the 11 eating clubs by helping to create a dialogue about sexual harassment and violence with the help of Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources & Education and promoting inter-club activities.

Eliza Mott ’16, who will become Ivy Club’s second-ever female president in the fall, and Lucia Perasso ’16, president of Terrace Club,declined to comment.

Frank, who successfully sued Ivy and TI in the 1980s to admit female members, said she congratulated the women who were elected this spring, but noted that having women at the head of a club cannot effect great change without the support of the rest of the leadership.

Though much has changed since her undergraduate years, Frank said thatthe need to end sexism on campus hasn’t ended.

With the results of TI’s election, all of the eating clubs except for Cannon Club and Cottage Club have seen a female president since 2002, although Cannon has only elected its third president since re-opening.