Trying to Remember Feb Club

By the 1993 Senior Class Board

Five years ago as we prepared to celebrate our 20^th Reunion, we wrote a post about Feb Club, a now annual senior year tradition started by our Senior Class Board (you can read that post here: Celebrating Feb Club – 20 Years Later with Penn 1993).

Now we wondered, how did Feb Club begin? We asked the Senior Class Board for more insight, and they responded in an email chain…

Brooke Hays, W’93, WG’99

I actually came up with the idea for Feb Club because I felt bad for the Deke guys who couldnt get anyone to go out with them.  So we convinced seniors to go out every night. The T-shirts helped the Deke guys fit in at the parties.

Laurie Bieber, C’93, GEd’94

Funny man you are, Brooke Hayes!

I honestly don’t remember the details.  Anyone?

Lisa (Luther) Housel, NU’93

Ha! Brooke!! Good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor after all these years!

I don’t really remember any of the details either- glad to see I’m not the only one 🙂

Only thing I remember is trying to coordinate our schedules so at least one of us was able attend every event that month to manage things. Turned into quite a busy social schedule for all of us. Also have no idea how we ever got anything done before email and cell phones to help with communication. Lots of in-person meetings I guess! Fun times with a great team!

Elissa Laitin, ENG’93

I totally remember that the idea was a spin-off of DKE’s Feb Club. We didn’t go out every night – it was like 11-12 events during the month.

We also had a raffle to help incentivize people to come to all the events. I think it was a $100 cash prize and people were only eligible if they came to at least 10 of the 11 events, or something like that. So then we had to manually track everyone who came to every event….

One of the things that was great about it was that there were a bunch of non-bar events like ice skating, movie night, and a basketball game – and that brought out a lot of seniors who didn’t come to other things b/c they wanted social events that weren’t just about drinking.

Boy this is bringing up a lot of memories! And now I’m getting Senior Week flashbacks.  Just don’t ask me what I did last weekend – that, I don’t remember….

Chrissy Bass Hofbeck, C’93

I just went in the attic to dig out my old Penn planner in hopes of finding the Feb Club schedule. Unfortunately the only thing tucked into my planner was a photo from Spring Break in Jamaica.

That said, I remember there were 3 events per week for a total of 12. I think you needed to go to 10 of the 12 to get a t-shirt. And yes, we had equal numbers (or so) of bar versus non-bar events. So we are all having the same recollection of events. I remember having our Board meetings in Brooke’s room at Sigma Chi.

Those were good times. Hope to see you all at the reunion in May. Hard to believe it’s been 25 years.

Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro, C’93

I am so impressed with all you guys remember. I can remember neither what I did this past weekend nor the details of Feb club except that it was an idea borrowed from Deke. I do, however, have pictures…

The 1993 Feb Club schedule as published in The DP. Photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro

Stephen Jung, C’93, shared these tickets from Feb Club events.

Ticket for the screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day-Off’ ticket, photo courtesy of Stephen Jung, C’93

Class of 1923 Ice Rink ticket, photo courtesy of Stephen Jung, C’93

The photo was labeled Columbia Game, but looking at the seats we think it’s in the Eric 3 for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off screening. Photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro.

Feb Club event at Cavanaugh’s, photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro

 

Event at Cavanaugh’s, photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro

Event at Cavanaugh’s

Marianne (Alves) Brogdale, Lisa (Bardfeld) Shapiro, and Kiera Reilly skating at the 1923 Ice Rink for Feb Club, photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro

Laura Lowry, Kristin Garland, Julie Berliner Bell, and Leslie Mag during the ice skating event. Photo courtesy of Julie Berliner Bell.

Julie Berliner Bell and Eric Swanson at the ice skating event. Photo courtesy of Julie Berliner Bell.

Smoke’s, photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro

The list of Initiates – all the 1993 Classmates who attended at least 10 events! Photo courtesy of Jenn Spadano-Gasbarro

The back of the original Feb Club t-shirt – a tradition started by the Class of 1993! Photo courtesy of Alyssa Newman, C’93

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown