Div Dictionary: CLC
CLC (n): the Community Life Committee, YDS’s school-sponsored social scene.

Mother Yale is great for sponsoring events, large and small. Where the Divinity School leadership sees the need to supplement this sponsorship, the CLC comes into play. The goals are wide-flung (yet connected), from concern for building a sense of community among YDS members, to serving as an outlet to spend the money that is available to spend, and trying to make sure that the more nerdy among us actually have a social life. Yale sponsors many events, which are fantastic. The ones that aren’t lectures or conferences—the parties, study breaks, movie screenings, happy hour, All School Conference, etc.—are often sponsored through the Community Life Committee. Since we love our acronyms around here, we just say “CLC.” Here’s a much better description, straight from the CLC website:

The YDS Community Life Committee (CLC) seeks to provide opportunities for fellowship, spiritual and intellectual growth, rest, celebration, and relaxation for the YDS Community. The Community Life Committee (CLC) is a Standing Committee of the General Faculty of the Divinity School comprised of faculty members, administrators, and student Representatives. The CLC allocates funding to student groups, is responsible for the annual Back-to-School Cook-out, the Christmas Party, Spring Fling, the All School Conference, Fatted Cafés, Coffee Hour, and more!

Faculty members and administrators are appointed by the Dean, with one serving as co-chair. The other co-chair is held jointly by the student co-coordinators. Other students serving on the Committee include four elected members of the student body: a first-year student, a Master of Divinity student, a Master of Arts in Religion student, and an at-large member. The Student Council President may also serve on the CLC.

On this website you can also take a gander at the impressive number of student activities YDS has going on. (Remember that we’re a mere 350-students strong, and that many of us are supposed to be spending all our time studying. In that light in particular, that’s a pretty active group of folk.) Since CLC funds student groups, most on-campus student-produced events are at least partially CLC funded. CLC also funds and produces the BIG campus events – like our end-of-semester parties: the Advent Party and Spring Fling--not to be confused with the general Yale Spring Fling. Generally, if you’re eating free food on campus or with an established group talking about an issue you care about deeply, you’re likely benefiting from CLC. If you’re drinking free beer or pop with friends on campus on a Friday afternoon, you’re almost certainly benefiting from CLC.

The CLC is headed by a faculty member and two students, who are NOT the ones listed on the website as of today. The two new people are amazing and fantastic and splendid persons, so look forward to that!


-Alex

PS: I tried to Google-image some photos from Spring Fling and the Advent Party, to no avail. (Did find, courtesy of last year's BTFO Coordinator Kate, this gem of our dear Registrar Lisa Huck)