At Tiger Inn, Jubilation About First Female President Short Lived for Some

Tiger Inn is the third oldest eating club on the Princeton University. campus.
Tiger Inn is the third oldest eating club on the Princeton University. campus.

Many women who belong to Tiger Inn, one of the oldest eating clubs at Princeton University, spent last Thursday and Friday celebrating the election of the first female president in the club’s history.

The election made national headlines. The New York Times wrote a story about it. Many students and alumni celebrated what they hope is a new chapter for the club, which made the news last October for two sexist emails that were sent to the entire club listserv.

But the jubilation faded quickly on Saturday when the new vice president of the club, Cole Lampman, sent the following email to the Tiger Inn listserv.

Dear Savages and Savagettes,

I’d like to start off my first email as your newly elected (Vice) President by thanking you for the generous support. It means a lot that you’ve looked past the facts and imagined myself as a responsible and lovable leader.

That being said, tonight marks the final home meet in Dillon at 7 for the wrestling team in which we are taking on Nebraska who is a perennial powerhouse. It’s an awesome opportunity for the team to turn some heads before the postseason starts.

It’s also Senior night, so I urge all of you to come out and support our seniors, who all also happen to be TI members. It’s your last shot to see Ryan Cash use his head as a heat seeking missile. Richard Eva takes on a 3x All American so he’s got a shot to make a huge upset. Jake Intrator, Josh Ellis, Steve Leshinger, and Adam Krop will all be honored and they would love nothing more than the undying support from the green.

Following Ben’s abuse of power, there will also be one strike given to any member that is not seen at the match. So seriously, wear green, yell obscenities, a lot, and show your support for the senior wrestlers of the Tig.

Your President of Vice,
Lampsmasher

Many female club members were livid about the email, feeling it did not show respect for the first female president or other female officers.

“He identifies himself as the newly elected (Vice) President,” said one member. “Would a newly elected female vice president have sent an email with the same words if a male had been elected president? Of course not.”

Some interpreted the email as Lampman thinking he should have been president.

“This email is a poor start to the new semester and speaks to the pervasive culture at Tiger Inn,” said one student.  “This should be the time for the officers to demonstrate that they are competent and take their responsibilities, and gender equity, seriously.”

Planet Princeton contacted Lampman via email on Sunday but has not received a response. Hap Cooper, the head of the graduate board, was also contacted.

Lampman sent an apology to the club early this morning, saying he only meant the email as a light-hearted joke. The following apology was posted to the Tiger Inn listserv by another member on his behalf.

To the members of the Tiger Inn,
 
Last Saturday night, I sent an email beginning with the line, “…as your newly elected (vice) President…” I would like to publicly apologize first to Grace and next to the membership and officers, both current and elect, for the inappropriate nature of what was originally intended to be a lighthearted joke. My intention was not to undermine either Grace’s or the club’s position and accomplishments. I am in full support of all of our officer-elects and have nothing but respect for Grace, Ben, Victoria, Maria, and Brad.
 
 I want to acknowledge that I made a mistake and express my appreciation to the members that approached me with their valuable and constructive feedback on this matter. Members want to see the club thrive, and by communicating with the officer-elects openly and candidly, they are actively pursuing that objective.

I love this club and its membership, and I am looking forward to serving both to the best of my ability as Vice President elect. The club deserves nothing less than the best I have to give. In the future, I urge all of you, old members and new, to continue to come to me with any comments or concerns you have. Please, if you do not know me – especially new members – come up to me at a meal or a night out and introduce yourselves so I can put a face to your name and get to know you. I look forward to meeting you all and working with you over the next year and a half to make TI the best damn club on Prospect.

With Love & Respect,
Cole Lampman

10 Comments

  1. Thankfully Grace will be a terrific president and she did not take offense at the email.The new officers were elected , not selected, and they will do a good job. Don’t think this is news Krystal. The apology speaks for itself. As a female member, I can say there were a number of women candidates for office which is a good thing. There will be more next year. Naturally, a few of those were where not elected are disappointed. There are 6 elected officers who will reside at the club – 3 men and 3 women. Grace leads the team.

  2. Sounds like some people are butthurt that they did not get elected. Looking at you one member and one student.

  3. Krystal, stop letting a FEW “men haters” suck you into writing articles that ABSOLUTELY DO NOT reflect the true feelings of the Tiger Inn women. You either are one of the “men haters”, have a vendetta against Tiger Inn or are not thoroughly vetting your stories. If you want to do a more accurate story, interview more of the women from Tiger Inn and stop using their private emails to create sensationalism!

  4. This is not about the new officers having each other’s backs. And this is definitely not about a small group of “men haters.” This is about protecting a club culture promoted by a minority of members and protected by another ring of members that is destructive and ugly and puerile (and worse) and compromises every single member and also jeopardizes the very future of the “green” and “the glorious.” As for the latest, no club with a subset of 30+ members who are involved with writing and circulating vile, misogynistic, etc. group texts will ever be “the best damn club on the street” and the rest of us shouldn’t stand for this. We are fortunate that Planet Princeton (and The New York Times) get that this is an important story. Let’s not forget that were it not for their coverage we would have just elected another slate of male officers (except for the token safety officer position). Tiger Inn is far from out of the woods and how the new officers and the membership behave in the coming weeks and months matters. Alums can pat themselves on the back about the changes but much of the membership, men and women alike, know better. Are the group texts emblematic of a place where we can really feel okay about ourselves? Crying about it doesn’t help and for those who are (understandably) considering quitting just remember that doing so means the bad guys will have won. Instead of quitting, insist on change!! This is the time for officers, old and new (except for Cole, who blew his credibility in record time) to show some leadership. Didn’t happen in the fall with the previous slate of officers, but it can happen now. And better now than waiting for Planet Princeton or the NYT or the Prince to print the texts. Or whatever reprehensible and embarrassing stuff will be coming next. Meantime, Hap and Grad Board members, get a hold of the group texts and decide for yourselves. It’s your reputations too.

    1. Why don’t you use your real name, since you seem to be the anonymous leaker who seems to love dragging people’s names through the mud by sending TI listserv messages to reporters.

  5. What an unbelievably ridiculous article. People are upset that someone put parentheses around the word “Vice”? Seriously, you people are not ready for the real world if you get so riled up about such incredibly meaningless things. Ms. Knapp, why don’t you write about some actually newsworthy things?

    1. When the new vice-president feels the need to challenge the legitimacy of the first female president in his first email to the club, given the recent history at TI, that is news for the Princeton community. It is similar to those Americans who sought to cast doubt on Pres. Obama’s legitimacy.

      Yes, the real world is full of people who act in sexist or racist ways. That is why there is plenty of ways to make the world a better place. “Princeton in the Nation’s Service” is not about perpetuating a sexist and racist world.

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