Alec Zierlein ’22

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On Monday, January 24, the Strake Jesuit community was gifted with a performance by the Yale Whiffenpoofs, an a cappella group from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. 

The Whiffenpoofs are most famously the oldest a cappella college group in the country, founded in 1909. The group consists of 14 members, 11 men and three women, though Rachel Ababio wasn’t present for the Strake Jesuit performance. For the past 10 years, the members have all taken a year off of school in between their junior and senior years to go around the country performing.

The Whiffenpoofs have gone through numerous changes over the years, especially regarding female involvement. Women began to attend Yale in the late 1960s, but for over 50 years, female singers did not have the opportunity to join the Whiffenpoofs. As recently as November 20, 2016 the group voted against letting women join. In February 2018, the group finally announced that students of all genders would be allowed to audition and not long after the first woman, Sofia Campoamor, was selected to be a member.

The current group includes Ryan Bronston, a member from Bellaire. When asked about the traveling of the group, Bronston said, “It’s tiring, but it’s a blas. It’s been a great time, and I’ve really enjoyed bringing the group here to Houston especially,” noting his great appreciation for the attendees and the opportunity Yale has given him.

The group will continue to tour the country and provide fabulous entertainment to everyone they encounter.