<p>@Bay:</p>
<p>[Eating clubs are] like fraternities and sororities. Seems like Princeton ought to be banning freshmen from attending all Eating Club events, too.</p>
<p>The school does put in an effort toward steering freshmen away from eating clubs. When you visit the school during Princeton Preview, the clubs are paid to remain off-tap (to not have parties that serve alcohol). Any brochure, tour, or University representative will make it seem like freshmen simply don’t spend time at the clubs (whether this is due to lack of interest or lack of opportunity is left for you to infer). </p>
<p>When you arrive for freshmen orientation, the clubs are once again paid to remain off-tap. During freshman orientation, however, all the clubs just lock their doors and hold keggers in the backyard. Knowing that this happens, the school purposely drags out orientation events (i.e., by having you and your RA group discuss how some presentation made you feel) until close to midnight or even afterward, hoping that the new freshmen will get tired and go to bed instead of roaming campus looking for parties. </p>
<p>Later on, during weekends where there are major eating club events (such as Winter Formals or Ivy-Cottage-Cap Casino Night), the University will often hold an alternative (dry) event aimed at freshmen. Your RAs, if in bicker clubs, are advised not to give you guest passes to parties.</p>