Haverford College Mediocrity Club

Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges

Well, maybe Villanova and Penn, too. Also Eastern and Cabrini. Perhaps Harcum.

The Haverford College Mediocrity Club, based at (but not limited to) Haverford College, was founded in the spring of 1997 by four brave young souls (Deb Nemens, David Rothstein, Suzanne Scala and Amanda Sloane). Its goal, as stated in the club's charter e-mail message, "is to cultivate an appreciation for the WORST of the WORST, for that which is the worst cannot help but elevate those who are mediocre. As Shakespeare wrote:

Not being the worst
Stands in some rank of praise,

and as the great William McGonagall rejoindered:

Immortal William Shakespeare
There's none can you excel,
You have drawn out your characters
remarkably well."

At first, despite its noble purpose, the Mediocrity Club floundered like a snail ripped violently from its shell. And then... it stopped floundering. Today, months later, it still does not flounder. The club now boasts a mailing list of nearly 30 once-lost souls, and its events so far have included a mediocre tennis tournament and a slightly less mediocre (yet still mediocre in its own right) photo essay.

NEWS FLASH! (Great Britain, December 1998) The Mediocrity Club has achieved international fame, being interviewed on BBC Radio 4 in the most mediocre radio segment ever produced - hear it! (1.8 MB mp3 file)

What would a mediocre web page be without a mediocre list of links?

The William McGonagall Home Page, dedicated to the worst poet in the history of mankind, is a site not to be missed by true connoisseurs of mediocrity.
The Mediocrity Club's arch-enemy, Beaver College. Click on the link and look closely to find out why. (Actually, you could probably look forever and never find out why, seeing as how they've changed their web pages. However, the motto of Beaver College used to be "Transcend Mediocrity." Imagine that.)

To join the Mediocrity Club, send a message to dmr37 AT cornell.edu explaining your mediocre credentials!

Thank you, and have an average day.

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