The Stanford eating clubs sent out a newsletter to 3,500 former members last summer, and almost immediately the memories began pouring in. "Many -- or most -- of us . . . did not fit into the fraternity mold," wrote Mike Rahn, '69. "We recognized the value of being able to come together to hire a cook, have meals, socialize and play together, yet respect everyone's desire to live separately . . . If there is a place that caters to those who march to the beat of a different drummer," he concluded, "it is the eating clubs."
Since 1894, the clubs, now located in a low, L-shaped building between Toyon and Encina halls, have served as an alternative to University dining services. The smaller scale -- at each of the five remaining clubs, one chef prepares meals for around 100 people -- means the fare isn't as "institutional," and the cooks can take special requests. The clubs also foster a strong sense of community through social events that include Friday evening parties and an annual ski trip.
Recently, though, the clubs' future has been threatened by an increasingly run-down building and short-term lease agreements with the University. But administrators were expected to announce this spring that they will help the eating clubs survive.
For several years the future looked bleak. The clubs were scheduled to lose their 45-year-old building in the summer of 2001, according to graduate student Aaron Williamson, president of Stanford Eating Clubs. Then, last year administrators created a working group to study the history of the clubs and survey students about what they wanted.
"We came to realize the value of the clubs is based on their history," says Keith Guy, associate vice provost for student housing and dining services.
Now the clubs need to find a new location and money to build a new facility. The project will probably cost $5 to $6 million. Fund raising will get under way soon. The spot being considered most seriously is a parking lot on the south side of Toyon. Another possibility: restoring the old Encina Commons building. "The challenge," Guy says, "is to find enough bubble gum and rubber bands to keep it up in the meantime."
