When Brandeis announced its decision to sell its alumni mansion in Manhattan last year, it also announced that it would be affiliating itself with the Penn Club, an exclusive Ivy League club in New York. The club’s website describes the organization as a “Club Managers Association of America designated 5-Star Platinum Club of America.” It has 13 floors of dining rooms, massage and fitness centers, guest rooms, libraries and social opportunities for members to “connect with real movers and Quakers!” Though social clubs like these aren’t necessarily bad, they contradict Brandeis’ founding principles of openness and equality in all activities.
The club writes that to become a member, one must fill out a membership application and fulfill certain entry requirements. These mostly have to do with being a graduate of one of the affiliate schools or organizations. One must also fulfill the requirements of having qualifying financial history and satisfactory social conduct/decorum.
As listed on the application, after acceptance to the Penn Club, a Brandeis alum must pay an initiation fee ranging from $375-$1,200 followed annually with dues ranging from $375-$1,625. Dues and fees are calculated based on where one lives in relation to New York and one’s age. New members may rent a room for a few hundred dollars per night, make use of the library, and purchase meals. One may also buy an annual $440-$550 membership to the Palestra Fitness Center, which grants further entitlement to purchase a $140 90-minute massage with optional aromatherapy, a one-hour personal training session or a 45-minute squash court rental. Complimentary coffee is served from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday.
The Penn Club is considered a 501(c)(7) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, categorized by the IRS as a social club.
This is not to say that the Penn Club or social clubs in general are bad things. They can allow people to take advantage of private services, be more social, network with professionals and enjoy luxury. Freedom of association is a right, and many wish to use prosperity and heritage as a basis for their collaborations.
However, Brandeis was founded on basic and underlying principles of inclusion. Its founders rejected regressive ideas of quotas and denial of opportunities based on anything other than demonstrated merit. They understood that every person from every walk of life has something to offer. Each day, conversations about social justice, equality and fairness are held in our classrooms, offices and dorms. These ideals and exchanges are what help to make Brandeis unique and form the foundation of our identity.
In the handbook, the university stands by its principle of inclusiveness by rejecting fraternities and sororities, in part because, “Exclusive or secret societies are inconsistent with the principles of openness to which the University is committed.” All clubs and groups at Brandeis are welcoming of all students, and doing so is not a policy that diminishes or stymies the competitiveness of our school whatsoever. As an example, the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society is the most successful debate team in the entire country, and it stands as one of the only top-tier college teams that doesn’t require tryouts to participate.
Do the fundamentals on which we were established align with Brandeis’ decision to be an affiliate of such an organization as the Penn Club? Being a member of the Penn Club can be a rewarding experience, but regardless of how rewarding it may be, it remains a very exclusive club. It is prohibitively expensive, pricing out many possible members, and it doesn’t accept membership from everyone who may be interested. Their website explains “membership at the Club is a privilege, not a right. The Club is for the members, by the members.”
Sometime after the personal training and aromatherapy, Brandeis should take a serious look in the clubroom mirror to ask whether we truly wish to affiliate with such an organization. If so, we may very well be branding ourselves with an emblem of hypocrisy toward our most virtuous and distinctive ideals.
