Clubs Gone By

As UP approaches budget season, tough decisions will be made to disperse roughly $200,000 among 50-odd clubs. Some clubs will be able to thrive from the influx while others will fade from the campus due to lack of funding or interest.

This week we will look at a few of the clubs that have graced the Bluff, but are no longer active for different reasons.

A Beacon profile: the dream of many clubs

Bowling Club ( Fall 2003-Spring 2007): Started by two freshman who bonded during a Micro Econ Icebreaker.   A small number of people met Wednesday or Thursday night at Interstate Lanes for a few intra-club games. As the semesters progressed, the relatively cheap club fluctuated in ASUP support from $810 for the 2007 Spring Semester to receiving only $360 for the 2006 Fall Spring Semester. 

Events: Inter-squad bowling, hence the name.

Budget Requests: Every semester, they simply asked for lane and shoe fees to cover around 20 people over the course of 8 weeks of the semester.

P.C.O.D. (Potential Cause of Death): Lack of interest.  Many clubs have trouble when their leadership graduates.  The already small  niche of bowling and the expensive nature might have lead to hard core fans of bowling to join.

Hope for Resurrection: Possible.  All it needs to thrive again are a committed few, a solid advisor and a good freshman group willing to establish a tradition that could last a few 4-year cycles.

Monogram Club (c.1903-1950): Dating back to the Columbia University days, the club began as the collection of players who had received the monogrammed jackets from their sport. Later, it evolved  into a potential prototypical Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as members became more involved in campus life.



Events: Serving as ushers at basketball games, performing plays, hosting dances and holding the annual "smoker."   The smoker, not to be confused with Villa Maria's Smokeout, in which participants smoke cigars and pipes, was a yearly boxing tournament.  Fighters were paired up equally in terms of ability and fought until they reached the winner.



Monogram Club successfully executing more than sport plays

Budget Requests: Unsure due to lack of access to older budgets.

P.C.O.D. (Potential Cause of Death): Lack of football.  Without the largest source of monogrammed sweater recipients, due to the lack of football funding, the club, run by one of the coaches, slowly faded or became the early SAAC chapter.

Hope for Resurrection: Not sure. Since football has been off campus for 60 years, despite the urging of students, the sports teams have trended away from varsity letters and sweaters. The SAAC has been trying to raise its profile among the student body through their talent show (this year's is on April 17th, Clive and Clarena Charles Day, in BC Auditorium.)



Fighting Words?



The smoker is another story. For a proper revival, leaders might need an underground setup, American Gladiators-style Jousting or a Wii Boxing twist to modernize the event. Perhaps the University and society has moved beyond people testing their own fighting abilities against their comrades.



These are just two of the clubs that people enjoyed.  As the Bowling Club showed, any person or group of people who are passionate about an activity can start a club.  Other clubs evolve to fit the needs of the participants, like the Monogram Club.  The latter is speculation due to lack of available information in the University Archives. 

Thanks to Fr. Bob Antonelli, head of the Archives, for the access and permission to photograph.  The Archives reside in the basement of Shipstad and Fr. Bob is always willing to help you find what you might hope to learn about the Bluff's history.  Don't forget to grab some candy while you visit!