The Practicality Club, which last week won approval from the Undergraduate Council of Students as a Category I student group, will aim to teach "practical skills for college life" to interested students, said the club's founder, Andrew Jacobs '08.
The club was among the first student groups - including the Organ Donation Club and the Paintball Club - to be approved by UCS this year.
The Practicality Club "operates under the assumption that everyone knows how to do some of these things, no one knows how to do all of these things, and everyone wants to know how to do more of these things," he said, citing examples of practical skills such as changing a flat tire, carving a turkey and parallel parking.
His list includes some "naughty ones," such as unhooking a bra, good and safe oral sex and "cocktail party strategy."
"Some of these are tongue-in-cheek. For example, there's the cocktail party strategy - there are no real experts ... Then again, some (advice can be) really useful," Jacobs said.
As for unhooking a bra, "We don't mean to harass anyone. It's just a useful skill to have," he said.
Jacobs said he's "not totally sure" about the "complete logistical thing" in terms of the various locations and supplies that might be necessary for learning some of these skills - such as unclogging a toilet or changing a spare tire.
"That's part of the fun - figuring out how we're going to do this," he said.
"The idea popped in my head in the bathroom. There was a plunger there, and I thought, 'if something happened, I wouldn't know what to do,' " he said of his inspiration for the club.
Those who attend the club's first meeting Oct. 6 will be taught how to throw a Frisbee. Jacobs is bringing several Frisbees and has recruited members of the ultimate Frisbee team to help out.
Fliers will go out sometime next week; however, since each club meeting will teach a different skill, Jacobs said he will need "a really large advertising stunt."
"We're still confused about how to advertise it," he said.
Jacobs said he believes there is enough student interest to sustain the club.
"Even though different people will want to learn different things, I think there will be a core group of people who will want to come to all the meetings," he said.
Jacobs said he thinks the Practicality Club will complement Brown's New Curriculum by offering a wide variety of "esoteric things."
"I don't know how to do any of those things," he said of the list he and his friends made for the club. "I'm a linguistics concentrator - that's pretty impractical," he said. The idea of building a broad educational base, something that is central to the Brown education, ties right in with the club, he said.
"This basically comes from ' "Whatever" for Dummies'," he said. "(These are) things I wish my mom had taught me."
Professional and Academic Skills for Students and Cooking with Rose are two other clubs at Brown that offer to teach practical skills to students. Jacobs said he would steer clear of computers and cooking - unless it was something "really easy," like eggs.
"I hope to get an e-mail thing set up" to get "a flowing of ideas" from other students, he added.
The Practicality Club's first meeting will be Oct. 6 on Lincoln Field.
PRACTICALITY CLUB'S POTENTIAL AGENDA
Changing a flat tireChanging oilGood (safe) oral sexThrowing a FrisbeePlaying poker/blackjackPlaying poolPhotographyParallel parkingUnclogging a toiletCooking eggsDay/date (what does that even mean?!)Unhooking a braCPRThe Heimlich maneuverCarving a turkeyTying a tieMixing drinks in plastic cupsDiscuss current events (Darfur, Israel, etc.)Table games (backgammon)Cocktail party drinksChessBarbequeWrap a good wrap (at the Ratty)Hookah assembly/smoke ringsWine/cheese
Source: Andrew Jacobs '08
