Opening Night at Cap

A  Message from Michael Mathews '62...

Let the celebrations begin.  I stopped by Cap on opening night to find our architects, Dennis,  our undergraduate officers, Lisa and Mike Camp basking in the glow of the refinished wood in the old dining room, beneath improved lighting and looking into a new serving area that clearly had worked to feed our returning classes of 2011 and 2012 for the evening meal.

The work that had preceded this event was Herculean.  Another huge thanks to Dennis, aka Hercules.

I can report that a brief after-dinner tour showed the old building totally up and ready for business, with new space working in the basement and with elegant restroom facilities installed and functioning.  Dennis had no time to unpack his office but there are two very comfortable leather chairs which I also tried out.

One of the benefits of living in town for me is to be able to travel up to Prospect Street and to have a look on occasions such as this.  I am sending this to you all simply to report that major progress has been made and is a milestone to be celebrated.

Thanks to all of the hard working team for all that you have done for the current and future generations at Cap.

'Twas the Night Before School Starts...

Cap members are back on campus for the start of classes tomorrow - and for the opening night dinner at the club!  Tonight will be the first chance for many of them to see the major renovations.  Cap has been cleaned up in preparation for their return-- they will be welcomed back by a new club and beautiful Princeton weather (75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky).

Although the "new" club isn't open yet, the servery is fully functional and looks great.  Cap's first meal will be dinner tonight-- I'm sure that the students will have a lot to say about Cap's transformation. 

If you can't make it for dinner tonight, here is a little look inside at the skylight, the taproom, the new dinning room and the first floor balcony.

Coming Up This Fall at Cap!

The fall semester at Princeton is about to begin, and the undergrads are on the verge of returning to Cap to see all the changes that have taken place over the summer.

You must be itching to return, too!  You never need an excuse to come by Cap, but the fall is a beautiful time to return to campus and catch a football game, a soccer game, a field hockey game, visit the Art Museum or the new Lewis Science Center, see a play at McCarter, or catch any of the many events on campus these days.

Here are a few links to schedules:
Athletics: http://goprincetontigers.com/
Art Museum: http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/
Campus Events: http://www.princeton.edu/events/
Campus Venues: http://www.princeton.edu/main/visiting/venues/

The best time to return- for a great party at Cap- is the weekend of the Princeton vs. Harvard football game on Saturday, October 23rd at 1pm.  We'll be hosting our annual "homecoming" party at Cap featuring the Blaire Reinhard Band!  Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/blaireband.  Come for food, music, fun and to see friends --and to see progress on the renovations to the main clubhouse, and the new wing.

If you stop by the club and are as amazed by the transformation as we are, send us your reactions (and photos) to capandgownclub@gmail.com.  We'll post up what you have to say on the Cap Blog for your 15 minutes of Cap fame!

Here are some of the latest pictures from construction:  The new dinning room, servery, first floor balcony, and a view from the courtyard.

We hope to see you at Cap!

The View From Cottage

As the summer winds down and the students pack up for Princeton, the Cap Construction Crew prepares for the start of the new year.

Construction has been in full swing this summer and the progress they have made is unbelievable.  I'm sure most of you noticed the slight disarray of the club last spring-- that was nothing compared to what it was after you left.

And now as the clean up begins in preparation for the students' return, you are able to see what has been under the dust at Cap.

The new dinning room and taproom are visible and you can easily imagine yourself enjoying dinner and a beer in the new wing.

But most importantly, check out the pictures below: the view from Cottage.  Now you can really see what a massive addition has been made and how great our beloved Cap will look so soon!

It's amazing how the project is coming along so nicely and it's a pleasure to see the almost-end result.  Make sure you stop by Cap in the fall to check out what all of your very generous donations have been able to produce!

Cap Construction Moving Along

...And then there were walls.  The new dinning room has walls, the new bathrooms are tiled, and the air conditioning is almost on!

Construction at Cap is really underway as the crew prepares for the students' return in the fall.  The club has to be functioning by September 1st, so big changes are being made.

The new geothermal system and piping is installed-- campaign coordinators Lisa Schmucki, Karl Pettit and Tom Fleming went down to the basement to check it out!

The students of 2011 and 2012 will really be pleased as they are the first to experience all of the renovations.  The club is expected to be fully completed by January 2011.

Alumni-- be sure to stop at Cap in the fall to be amazed by how great our old club looks!

Cap Construction Update

Heading down Prospect Street toward Cap doesn't feel very different.  Neither does crossing across the front lawn.  Everything seems to be in order and Cap looks just like it always has (with the exception of the recliner on the front lawn).

But heading around the back is a different story.  As you stroll down Roper Lane an impressive steel structure comes into view.

A lot has been happening since the students left for summer and the general cheer from Reunions and graduation has died down.  The construction crew has been working hard and making huge strides toward the completion of Cap's addition and renovation.

Although Cap may look like a mess now, the crew is on a tight schedule to complete all of the renovations inside in just three months.  The kitchen is completely gone and a brand new kitchen and servery must be finished before the students return on September 1st.

The old club is barely recognizable under all the dust as Cap is installing a new geothermal heating and cooling system which requires new piping to be installed throughout the old building as well as in the addition.  With the environmental crisis happening in the Gulf right now, people are much more aware of how they use oil.  The new system will make Cap more "green" by eliminating the use of fossil fuels.

The new system will be quiet, durable and cost effective.  All Cap members will be happy and warm in the winter and cool and dry in the summer.  This new system will provide the entire building with air conditioning, making Cap the perfect place for a reception if you're planning a wedding next summer!

We really expect the new dinning hall and tap room to make a wonderful addition to our beloved Cap.  The steel structure that many members were awed by during Reunions has a nearly completed roof.  The renovated tap room is also well underway.  Things are really coming along in the construction and we're actually starting to see what a wonderful project this is turning out to be!

Cap Hosts More than 500 at Reunions

Cap broke a record at Reunions this year, hosting more than 500 Cap members, family, and friends at our post-P-rade Open House.  The crowds packed the clubhouse and an enormous tent was set up on the front lawn for Reunions and Graduation. 

Everyone was awed by the progress on our construction.  Cap members viewed the newly-erected steel framing from the sunporch (now converted to a temporary taproom), and from the second floor deck.

This was the last hurrah for Cap-as-we-know-it.  When students return on September 1st there will be an all-new servery and a renovated "old" dining room.  The new wing is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Reunions 2010 - A Chance Encounter

 Another year and another chapter in the remarkable continuum that is Princeton and the Cap and Gown community that is within the greater Princeton community.

I was on the back porch at Cap following the P-Rade, when Dennis Normile, our club steward, came bursting out and said that one of our Cap members from the Old Guard had stopped by.  I went directly to the crowded front hall and found Ollie Langenberg '35.  He had hired a car to drive him to the club, and had a young step son-in-law at his side, and was truly delighted to be back at Cap for a visit. 

With the tumult of a packed clubhouse swirling around us, our conversation was challenging but I had time to hear some of Ollie's stories from an earlier era at Cap.  He wondered if the "Thursday Club" still existed.  I mentioned the "21 Club" but he dismissed that.  He then got a devilish grin and said it had to do with prohibition and, as I understood it, there was a group that made the illegal hooch for use over the weekend starting on Thursday at lunch time. And so the beat goes on.

I have thought since of the 27 year difference in age. From 1935 to 1962 is a big gap. It is the same as from 1962 to 1989, about the first year I became
involved as Grad Board Chair. And those "kids" seemed so young then. Should I make it to my 75th Reunion, I hope one of the kids from the Class
of 1989 is around to listen patiently to some of my old recollections - under the 1962 Skylight in the new stairwell that joins the old and new
buildings. In 27 years there will not be old and new buildings but only one building, completely assimilated as a part of the very best club on Prospect Street thanks to a lot of effort from a lot of people with foresight.

When I returned to the porch and a conversation with Denny Keller '63, we noted Ollie Langenberg is listed as a contributor to the campaign from 1935. Now that Bill Selden '34 has died, that makes Ollie Langenberg our oldest contributor.

Cheers to all,   

Michael Mathews '62

House Parties

The weekend of Friday, April 30th was the weekend of spring house parties. The senior officers chose the theme of "Time Machine" in which each event was a different time period from the Renaissance to the future. Due to the construction in the backyard, all events were held in the front yard under the largest tent available. The consolidation of everything in one place allowed for smooth set ups and clean ups before and after each event. The weekend started on Thursday night with a special sushi dinner prepared by a visiting sushi chef. The formal event took place on Friday night, which featured the Charles Parker Band playing music from the '60s and '70s. The carnival took place on Saturday afternoon with a pig roast in the evening followed by a performance by DJ Swell at night for the semi-formal event. On Sunday, May 2nd the club came together for a champagne brunch followed by an afternoon performance by the Dean Dollar Band and an early evening cookout put together by the Junior officers. The weekend was a big success thanks to all the hard work and long hours put in by our Club Steward Dennis Normile, Head Chef Greg Bonagura, the rest of the club staff, and our fellow Junior officers.

Rachel Blum
President

President Tilghman Visits Cap

Here is an article by Bilesh Lavda, Culturally Cap Co-Chair, on President Tilghman’s recent visit to Cap:

Cap was pleased to welcome President Shirley Tilghman to a “Culturally Cap” dinner at the club recently. President Tilghman is currently the JP advisor of one of our fellow Cap members, Nikhil Basu Trivedi. Nikhil extended a personal invitation to President Tilghman, and we were delighted that she accepted.

My Culturally Cap Co-Chair Haley Thompson and I were very excited to have a visit from the president as one of our first Culturally Cap dinners of the year.  There was such a large interest in the talk that the number of people who wanted to attend the talk had to be limited to prevent overcrowding.

As part of our Culturally Cap program, we specifically asked President Tilghman not to prepare a presentation, so the discussion could be lead by Cap members’ questions. As expected, the bulk of the discussion centered around the relationship between the eating clubs and the University. (The University has initiated a Task Force on the Eating Clubs and University Relations.)  Perhaps the most surprising aspect of our discussion was that, contrary to popular belief, President Tilghman was not negative about the eating club system and certainly does not want to prevent students from experiencing club life. However, she did have two main concerns with the eating club system, firstly that it should have stronger ties with residential colleges and secondly that an institutional change take effect to alleviate some of the difficulties faced by students who do not receive a bid to the club of their choice.

Cap members gave well thought out responses to the problems raise by President Tilghman and provided some informative suggestions to bring back to the administration.

On a more personal note, President Tilghman told some of her most memorable anecdotes from her time in the top job.  For example, she went on vacation to one of the Forbes family summer houses and took a majestic ride on one of their fleet of hot-air balloons.

The discussion gave Cap members new insights into the administration and their way of thinking. It also gave Haley and I the idea to use our roles as Culturally Cap Co-Chairs to reach out to the residential colleges and organize joint events with them. We'll be meeting with President Tilghman later this month to discuss this possibility.

Cap members were appreciative of the opportunity to have an intimate dinner with our president.

Bilesh Lavda
Culturally Cap Co-Chair

An Update from Dennis - Our Club Steward

Seems like nothing is ever easy.  Cap decided to raise money for a building project in the worst economic climate in recent history.  The membership met the challenge with overwhelming support and success.  Shovels went to ground this fall just before what turned out to be the worst winter weather on record in this area with record snow falls and extended cold temperatures. 

The builders took on this challenge head on as well and rearranged the building schedule to work more inside than out.  Now it's spring and in like a lion, this past week brought 70 mile an hour winds to the Princeton area, power outages in some parts of town for for more than two days.

The Clubhouse suffered as well, the tall twin fir tree in the corner came crashing down in the storm along with substantial damage to the adjacent  maple along the brick wall at the front of the property.  We are still waiting our turn for the use of a big crane to haul off the trunks and roots.

Princeton Spring Break last week brought on a burst of building activity.  The block elevator shaft was built off the recently poured foundation.  Re-bar forms were laid and footings were poured for the exterior walls of the addition.  Inside work continues with the new bathrooms in the basement area, plumbing and electrical infrastructure as well as the plumbing lines for the new heating and cooling system.

The geo thermal well drilling rig rolled on site this week as well.  The crew has been able to drill 1 and a 1/2 wells per day and should be back on the job this week when the rain clears out.




Check out these photos!

News from our new Cap President

 New Cap Officers for 2010 - 2011

Rachel Blum '11 (pictured at the far left) was elected Cap president in February.  Here is the latest news from undergrad life at Cap:

I just wanted to give you an update on how exciting the first half of spring semester has been for the membership. We've had many successes both inside and outside the club and many new developments:



Many Cap members are part of the Track & Field team. A few weekends ago both the men's and the women's teams won the Ivy League Championship with Craig Pearce, our junior Bicker Chair, taking first place in the hammer throw. The Fencing team, also with many Cap members, earned rings on both the men's and women's squads  by winning the Ivy League Championship.



Most of the senior members have been in hiding, working on their theses while the sophomores have started joining the rest of the membership for their two meals a week and social privileges.



On a club night we had a chicken wing eating contest for a male and female member of each class. Members put a few dollars on their top choice and all the money collected went to the winner's favorite charity. Dennis created a set of rules that ensured a fair contest. The male winner was Eric Plummer '10 and the female winner was myself '11.  $141 was raised for Yele Haiti relief efforts.  Overall it was a great event that brought the entire club together.



Spring break is almost over so we should all be returning refreshed and ready for a busy spring. We're looking forward to finishing up our independent work and getting ready for Houseparties!