The club fair is a buzzing confusion of sensations: the roar of conversation, the taste of free chocolate, the bustle of the crowd and the occasional jumpscare by Crawfest mascot, Carl the Crawfish. Before walking in, I made a personal pact to not overcommit myself, so instead I spent the time wandering around and observing the many faces of Tulane University. And I avoided Carl, once dubbed “my personal sleep paralysis demon” by a former Arcade editor.
Here are a few snapshots from my journey up and down the aisles of club campaigners. Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Campus Cats
Tatia Goldberg, President
IF: Tell me a little about your club. What do you do?
TG: We make sure the cats on campus are well-kept: we spay and neuter, we catch and release, we feed them and we make sure they are healthy by taking them to the vet. And we’re teaming up with architecture to make houses for them. Basically, the whole club is just sending pictures of the cats in the GroupMe. It’s very cute and everyone enjoys it.
IF: It sounds like you are doing a lot of exciting things, but what are you most excited for this year as part of Campus Cats?
TG: There are a lot of new kittens lately and everyone is very interested, so I’m excited to take pictures of them and make sure that they are all healthy.
IF: Why should someone join Campus Cats?
TG: If you love cats, or even if you don’t love cats and you just want to make your day better by looking at a picture in the GroupMe, you should join!
Rock Climbing Club
Dara Mandell, President
IF: Can you tell me a little about your club and what your goals are?
DM: We provide transportation for all students who are interested in going to the climbing gym. It’s free for everyone and you don’t need any experience at all. We are a very open community, and we really like exploring around, climbing different places, meeting a bunch of new people and getting in touch with the land.
IF: Could you describe the vibe of the club in one word?
DM: Chill. Yeah, it’s chill.
IF: What are you most excited about in your club this year?
DM: Doing some outdoor trips. Maybe going out west and maybe going to Kentucky or something.
Therabeading Club
Jory Tanaka, Vice President
IF: Could you tell me a little about your club? What do you do?
JT: We teach people how to make jewelry and we provide all the stuff that you need. We can make simpler bracelets like this one, or we can teach you how to make fancier things like this flower design. It’s super low-commitment and very fun.
IF: Why should someone join your club?
JT: Because of all the stress of school, people need a time to unwind and relax, and you get to take something pretty home.
IF: What are you excited about this year in terms of the club?
JT: This year, I am excited to meet new people through the club, share our skills and talents and hopefully make people happy.
The Juggling Club, or, The Benevolent Society for the Propagation of Assorted Tomfoolery and Other Sorts of Peculiar and Otherwise Absurd and Baffling Nonsense
Anonymous, The Minister of Sensations on the Benevolent Parliament of Dunces, joined by an avid juggler
IF: Tell me a bit about your club and what your goal is.
MS: We spread whimsicality and mystery across Tulane’s campus. We juggle where we go, we garden, we repair bikes and in general we want to spread playfulness and community amongst Tulane people. And we would like to form a secret society that will eventually take over Tulane.
IF: In one word, how would you describe the vibe of your club?
MS: The vibe, the vibe… whimsical.
IF: Why should someone join the Benevolent Society?
MS: Who wouldn’t want to join? Who wouldn’t want to? We are absurd! If you are a fan of tomfoolery, you should join! That is the answer.
IF: Lastly, what are you most excited about this year as members of the club?
MS: Going down the rabbit hole into Wonderland.
Avid juggler: Ascending into the depths of darkness.