Cap News from the Club President | March 2022
Greetings from the Cap President!
Since the club reopened to members and the Street last fall—and despite various COVID-19 challenges—we’ve experienced an exciting year .
This semester began with Spring Bicker, and Cap received a record-breaking 372 bickerees, a 40% increase from last year. Bicker Chair emeritus Aryaman Khandelwal ’22 led an impressive logistical effort, which included a “Winter Wonderland”-themed pre-bicker event and hybrid bicker sessions with both in-person and virtual options. We welcomed 105 new sophomores and 8 new juniors to our Cap family.
The next week, we held officer elections. Our new Officer Corps immediately embraced our new duties, diving right into planning our annual Valentine’s Day semi-formal. Members enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Greg and the kitchen staff and “Cap Love” themed beverages; Social Chair Shelby Kinch ’23 planned a fantastic event with beautiful decorations, a balloon wall photo backdrop, and a DJ.
Since then, we have settled into our weekly routines, providing a welcoming and exciting space for new and old members alike. We continued Vice President emeritus Valeria Torres-Olivares’ ’22 initiative to introduce affinity group-themed nights out, which were paired with Club Nights with themed menus (for example, Bollywood Night and South Asian-themed cuisine for dinner at Club Night). During every club night, members continue to enjoy delicious appetizers and beverages in the Cox Wing before heading to dinner. Our recent social events, including a Super Bowl watch party, and a Gatsby-themed semi-formal, have all been highly successful.
As the weather warms, members have been spending more time enjoying the outdoors—eating meals on the picnic benches, playing volleyball in the backyard, and lounging on the lawn. With House Manager Ken Nakamura’s ’23 help, we’ve introduced hammocks and a fire pit (for future s’mores evenings) to the backyard. Members have also enthusiastically participated in intramural sports, coordinated by Athletics Chair Danielle Jenkins ’23; our volleyball team recently won the IM finals!
Our previous DEI Chair and now current Bicker Chair Mary Elizabeth Marquardt ’23 played a key role in bicker, conducting a training session at a membership-wide mandatory meeting on how to best construct a welcoming environment and avoid non-inclusive language during bicker. Our new DEI Chairs will continue to engage our members and strive to provide an inclusive environment in the Club.
A brief update on the Club’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: We take very seriously our responsibility to keep our club and greater Princeton community safe, and we have continued to comply with University protocols relating to COVID-19. We cooperate closely with our University partners in order to ensure that we are in lockstep with them and continue to carry out both the letter and the spirit of University protocols.
As we move towards the end of the semester we are looking forward to the excitement of Houseparties and the bittersweet graduation of our seniors, and to seeing many of our alumni back at Princeton and Cap for Reunions!
Cap President, Kate Liu ’23
