Fringe was founded in 1969 by a group of architects as the first independent organization to compete in all of Carnival. Over the years, we have expanded into a multi-faceted organization active all year round. Today, our membership includes people from every college in CMU.

A college student's life is filled with choices, especially here at Carnegie Mellon. A student's busy schedule demands that they make choices about how to manage their time and be able to reach all of their goals whether academically, athletically, or socially. Perhaps, the most difficult choice for one to make concerns finding one's right social niche.

Fringe offers its members an environment and the support to challenge themselves and not to settle for mediocrity in themselves or their endeavors. In whatever we do, we put forth our best effort, whether it be in booth, buggy, intramural sports, or parties. Fringe holds the motto, "Get on the edge." This motto stands for our belief in taking risks and striving for new goals as a means for personal growth, growth in friendships, and mainly as a means for having fun. We believe that success is based on being creative, different, and innovative.

First and foremost though, Fringe is a social organization that promotes a spirit of friendship where people give cheerfully of their time, knowledge and experience. Perhaps the greatest opportunity that we can offer our members is a camaraderie and the atmosphere to make great friends.

what does Fringe do?

Fringe has fun. We are a close group of friends that engage in all sorts of formal and informal activities. As for the formal ones, Fringe participates in the big two of Carnival: booth and buggy. Both of those programs are very strong, but our attitude is always to have fun and enjoy; it's never overly competitive. Throughout the year, we take part in intramural sports. We also hold food-related events, most notably our BBQs.

But Fringe is much beyond our formal involvements. We hang out all the time finding random things to do and chat about. We're always after food on campus, especially if it's free. We gather for special occasions, and we are some of the most involved folks on campus--this year, for example, we had more Orientation Counselors than any other organization.

how can I join?

Fringe welcomes new members at any time. We encourage new folks to explore all of our activities and involvements, though members may be involved in one or many of them. There is only one prerequisite: a positive and enthusiastic attitude, and a willingness to have a whole lotta fun.

For more information, subscribe to the assocs.fringe bboard. Activites, events, and update info is distributed there. And if you would like further information or to be put on our dlists, email us at fringe@andrew.cmu.edu. If you want the technical details, read our constitution. Finally, surf through our website for more details on some of the various aspects of Fringe.