Try something a little offbeat

The majority of freshmen that come to Yale with a pre-formed notion of the type of group with which they will affiliate. Singing groups, political organizations, and cultural houses all have their merits, but this is college, and one of the shining realizations that come to otherwise harried freshmen is that you are no longer trying to get into college. Therefore, you need not pad your resumé just yet. To help you avoid that end, here is a collection of quirky clubs which often go unnoticed in the Yale social pantheon.

Those people with foam swords are simply protecting us all from invading Canadians; The Freestyle Dueling Association (FDA) provides a forum for role-playing enthusiasts who are tired of tabletop gaming and wish for something more. Aside from bi-weekly weapons practices and gaming nights, they attend weekend-long live role-playing games.

"The FDA is a unique organization which allows me to both get exercise and relieve stress by beating senseless some of my closest friends," Court Scrivener Natalie Bender, BK '98, said. The Yale Anti-Gravity Society, Yale's juggling club, was founded to cater to those who enjoy flinging blunt objects at one another's heads in an artful manner. It meets Sundays on Old Campus. Membership is open to all, regardless of ability. They perform two shows each year: a Halloween fire show, and a spring show; 1997's was titled "Men With Clubs, Women With Balls: Juggling and Other Improper Acts."

The Breakfast Club meets at Commons for breakfast every morning at 8 a.m. The group's web site says its official function is f(x,y)=xy exp(-x2). Major activities include writing silly limericks to Ed Bebyn, Commons manager. "We do more by 8:30 than most people do by 8:00," Chairman and Grand Inquistor John Eure, BR '99, said.

Finally, the Yale Anime Society is devoted to bringing Japanese-style animation to students. Screenings are in Silliflicks, a theater in Silliman, on Saturdays at 8 p.m.; bigger screenings are often presented in Davies Auditorium. Past fare has included anime such as Akira and El-Hazard: The Magnificent World.

For those tired of the standard fraternity functions or singing group mixers, or for those simply unsure of their extra-curricular footing, there are lesser known yet well-loved alternatives available to be explored.

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