Your club is much the same as you remember it—a welcoming home for creative, caring individuals. As you read this, the classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019 are living out new stories. (I could tell you mine, but not in writing.) As a young alum, I realized that the value of Princeton extends beyond the campus. The Princeton Club of Chicago was so welcoming to a New Yorker. But it turned out whenever I met a graduate I really liked, that person was invariably a Terran. We share the typical “you went to Princeton, you must be really smart,” plus a certain food=love philosophy. At Reunions a few years ago, I ended up spending most of my time at Terrace. It was the same feeling of escaping from campus and being in the right spot that I felt in college. So I decided to volunteer for the board and recently was elected chair. As Natalia Chen ’18, the undergraduate president, puts it, the club leadership has two goals: one, preserve the Mother and pass on her magic and wisdom, and two, don’t let the house burn down. The theme of this newsletter—LGBT life—is a great example of how Terrace has consistently been the vanguard of inclusiveness at Princeton. Across the decades, we’ve been both a welcoming home and also shaped how the wider community has come to be more accepting. When you come back at Reunions, you’ll see some new artwork around the club, class photos of alumni, and some herbs, too—basil, rosemary, and chives growing in the greenhouse.
Yes, Terrace now grows a lot of the greens used in our meals. If you stop by for a meal (alumni are always welcome throughout the school year) you’ll taste why Terrace continues to be known for the best food on campus. And you’ll see that the students are much as you remember your classmates: artists and architects and scientists, studying or relaxing or serving the community, even organizing ESL classes for the kitchen workers. The club looks great, thanks to our staff and engaged alumni. The lounge to your right as you walk in is now a dining room—membership has grown beyond the capacity of the original dining hall. This is a testament both to Terrace’s popularity and to the need to expand the club house. There’re a lot of ways for alumni to get involved. I took an alternative career path partly because I didn’t want to think about jobs as a student—let alone interview for finance or consulting. (Now I’m a management consultant for mayors. Go figure.) Just a few months ago, Terrace held an alumni–student career fair. Pretty amazing. I even managed to pick up some pointers, including the following tidbits: • “Be able, available, and affable.” • “‘Supposed to’ is not an answer.” • “When you bring forth that which is within you, that which is within you will save you. When you don’t bring forth that which is within you, that which is within you will destroy you.” See you at Reunions! food = love
— Alexander Shermansong ’97
Chairman, Board of Governors