sachems
{{Short description|Senior society at Columbia University}}
{{about|the college secret society|other uses|Sachem (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox fraternity
| founded = {{date and age|1915}}
| birthplace = Columbia University
| type = Senior society
| emphasis =
| scope = Local
| chapters = 1
| affiliation = Independent
| city = New York City
| state = New York
| country = United States
| status = Active
}}
Senior Society of Sachems is a secret society at Columbia University in New York City, New York. Founded in 1915, the society taps fifteen juniors each year, often the most influential student leaders on campus.
History
The Sachems were founded at Columbia University in 1915.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1984 |title=Quiet Columbia Groups 'Tap' Seniors |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/nyregion/quiet-columbia-groups-tap-seniors.html |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} It was established as protest group against the Nacoms, allegedly for the latter's reticence toward Jewish students.{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Carrie Budoff|date=October 3, 2007|title=Mukasey is a Sachem (we think)|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-now/2007/10/mukasey-is-a-sachem-we-think-003457|access-date=July 13, 2021|website=Politico|language=en}} The publicly stated reason for their formation, however, was that it was in response to Columbia's growing class size, when it was judged that only one senior society would not adequately to serve the needs of the university's undergraduate student body.{{Cite news|date=May 11, 1915|title=Senior Societies|work=Columbia Daily Spectator|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19150511-01.2.17&srpos=30&e=-------en-20--21-byDA-txt-txIN-nacoms------|access-date=July 13, 2021}}
Controversy surrounding the roles and secrecy of the senior societies cropped up at Columbia University in 1954. Students complained about the societies' failure to comply with the university's regulations surrounding student organizations. Sachems had not provided the committee with a copy of its constitution or made the purposes of the organizations clear, as was required, and its secrecy made it impossible to discern whether it "conduct[ed] their meetings and programs in a responsible manner as members of the University community".{{Cite news |date=April 22, 1954 |title=The Rule of Law |work=Columbia Daily Spectator |url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19540422-01.2.20&srpos=167&e=-------en-20--161-byDA-txt-txIN-sachems------ |access-date=July 13, 2021}} The Columbia College student body voted in May of that year to recommend to the university administration that it compel the senior societies to register with the CSO, 832 to 447, as well as force it to submit monthly reports on their activities to the dean of the college, 663 to 599.{{Cite news |date=May 8, 1954 |title=Senior Units Lose in Columbia Vote |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1954/05/08/83876524.html?pageNumber=19 |access-date=July 13, 2021}}
In January 1955, the society was placed under the direct jurisdiction of the Dean's Office, bypassing the CSO. Their secrecy was not abolished, and the deans announced that they did not intend to ask for monthly reports. At the time, four deans were honorary members of either the Sachems or the Nacoms.{{Cite news|date=January 11, 1955|title=Deans Take Reins Of Senior Societies|work=Columbia Daily Spectator|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19550111-01.2.2&srpos=186&e=-------en-20--181-byDA-txt-txIN-sachems------|access-date=July 13, 2021}}
The society is allegedly dedicated to performing "discrete service" to Columbia College in cooperation with the school administration.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1984 |title=Quiet Columbia Groups 'Tap' Seniors |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/nyregion/quiet-columbia-groups-tap-seniors.html |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The Sachems started a university scholarship fund and the tutoring organization Double Discovery Center.{{Cite web |date=2014-04-16 |title=A Shifty Look At Secret Societies |url=https://bwog.com/2014/04/a-shifty-look-at-secret-societies/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Bwog |language=en}}
Sachem is supported by a "modest" endowment, though when asked by The New York Times, neither of the deans of students of Columbia College or the School of Engineering would comment on the sizes of said endowment.File:SachemsRing.png]]
Symbols
A Sachem was a paramount chief among the Algonquins,{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1984 |title=Quiet Columbia Groups 'Tap' Seniors |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/nyregion/quiet-columbia-groups-tap-seniors.html |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} but the term also referred to the leader of the New York City political machine Tammany Hall. Sachems initiates new members with a champagne party.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1984 |title=Quiet Columbia Groups 'Tap' Seniors |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/nyregion/quiet-columbia-groups-tap-seniors.html |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Members of the society can be identified by gold rings with a green zigzag pattern, worn on the little finger of their right hand.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1984 |title=Quiet Columbia Groups 'Tap' Seniors |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/nyregion/quiet-columbia-groups-tap-seniors.html |access-date=June 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Membership
The society taps fifteen juniors each year, often the most influential student leaders on campus. It has been known to elect faculty as honorary members.{{Cite news |last=Selinske |first=Charles E. |date=March 2, 1954 |title=Behind the News |url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19540302-01.2.14&srpos=161&e=-------en-20--161-byDA-txt-txIN-sachems------ |access-date=July 13, 2021 |work=Columbia Daily Spectator}} Sachems has a standard of privacy more than secrecy. Until 1951, the society published the names of its newly elected members in the Columbia Daily Spectator, as well as in The New York Times on occasions.{{Cite news |date=May 3, 1922 |title=Senior Societies Pick Columbia's Athletes |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1922/05/03/issue.html |access-date=July 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} Sachems now keep its member's name secret until graduation.