Class News

Tony Lavely ’64 attends Feb Club Emeritus in Atlanta

February 27, 2022

After skipping last year due to COVID restrictions, ’64 Class Secretary Tony Lavely attended the Feb Club Emeritus in Atlanta. It was unusual this year for the Yale Club of Georgia (for which Lavely is the Facebook Administrator) in that they threw a combination Gourmet Pizza Cooking Party at Varasano’s Pizzeria in Buckhead.

Varasano’s is owned by Jeff Varasano, Yale Class of 1988. Originally from the Bronx, Varasano moved to Atlanta in 1998 and soon realized the style of pizza he was accustomed to finding at every turn was not to be found in the Atlanta area. For a man with pizza in his blood (including Sally’s Apizza and Pepe’s Pizzeria in New Haven), this just would not do.

So, he set out to perfect his favorite New York pie from Patsy’s in East Harlem. The ten-year odyssey included traveling to the world’s best pizzerias, experimenting with countless varieties of flour, sourdough cultures, cheese, tomatoes, and temperature-control techniques, pushing household appliances beyond their limits, and visiting flour millers and oven manufacturers in the US and Europe. Varasano has studied everything from bread making to thermodynamics in his quest to craft the perfect pie.

Feb Club began as a way to deal with the midwinter doldrums at Yale by going to a party every night for the entire month. The tradition was founded in 1975. The idea had little trouble gaining traction among fun-loving Yalies. Different people would host each party and develop a theme to keep it interesting. Details of the parties were spread only by word of mouth.

The tradition faltered in the 90s but was revived in the early 2000s. It is now a seniors-only way to celebrate a lighter class load during one’s last semester. Students subscribe to all 28 or 29 parties for $29.

Alumni also enjoy Feb Club Emeritus celebrations all over the world these days with an authentic engraved Mory’s Cup. It’s a great way to reconnect with friends and brighten things up before spring returns.

Hey, Yale 1964 classmates, have you been to a Feb Club Emeritus in your area? Tell us about it, and we’ll add it to the story.