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. So, there's no need to pad your resume'—not yet, anyways. Toescape the same old boring singing groups and publications, here is a collection of quirky clubs which often go unnoticed.

First, those people with foam swords you see on Cross Campus 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," member 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—which takes place on Bienecke Plaza right before the YSO concert—and a spring show; 1998's was titled "Hamlet Never Dies," and changed the Bard's brooding prince and scheming uncle into artful jugglers.

For early risers, 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 Bob Alberino, Commons manager. "We do more by 8:30 than most people do by 8:00," Chairman and Grand Inquisitor John Eure, BR '99, said.

For those that need something a bit more fanciful, 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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