Recruitment can be tricky. We are all busy people with busy schedules, and sometimes it’s hard to get your message across to the audience you want. So, we at Spoon Yale decided to conduct a social experiment, in which we monitored the effect of a giant spoon on the public.

Our findings? Having a large piece of silverware under your belt (literally) enhances social interaction and makes it more likely for people to inquire about your organization! Here are 7 ways to use a giant spoon to your advantage:

1. Bazaar with it

spoon

Photo by Wendy Sun

Huzzah for the extracurricular bazaah. With all the buzz and excitement and chaos that is the bazaar, a giant spoon is sure to help you stand out. You’d be surprised by how much people enjoy posing with (and fighting with) oversized silverware. Over the course of 3 hours, we attracted nearly 100 sign-ups for our email list and applications began rolling in.

2. Dine with it

spoon

Photo by Wendy Sun

“You gonna drink soup with that?”

“I am intrigued.”

“Can I touch it? Can I have it?”

We took the spoon to Commons, the largest Hogwarts-esque dining hall on campus. And, not to like brag or anything, but I think we really worked some lumos in there.

3. Run with it

spoon

Photo by Alyssa Chen

“Is that a…”

“Crazy…”

“那么大的勺子!” (translation: “What a big spoon!”)

No, we are not joking. Running 5.04 miles with a large spoon is not only great cardio (where my health nuts at), but also a surefire way to draw attention to you and your organization! We accumulated nearly 100 Facebook likes on our personal social media post about the spoon run, and witnessed a 40.3% increase in our page views from the day before.

Plus, who doesn’t want to get honked at by a Naked Juice truck?

4. Event with it

spoon

Photo by Vivian Dang

Trust us, people are much more likely to stop by at your community event if there is a spoon scintillating in the sunlight (or moonlight or library light – whichever strikes your fancy). We honestly think people might’ve been more interested in taking a picture with the spoon than eating our free food. Who would’ve thought?

5. Shovel with it

spoon

Photo by Cameron Yick

For all y’all who’ve seen snow IRL, this is actually pretty practical. Spoons have the ideal curvature for scooping, and there’s no better way to clear your driveway than with a gargantuan eating utensil. Passerby will be enlightened about the art of snow shoveling, and this is your opportunity to tell them about the magnificent publication for which your spoon stands.

As a scientific aside, the spoon also makes for an excellent catapult. #sorrynotsorry

6. Gym with it

spoon

Photo by Cameron Yick

Buff person #1: “Is that for some rush thing?”

Buff person #2: “No man, it’s from Spoon University.”

– Overheard at Payne Whitney, the largest gym on campus (we didn’t even have to say anything!)

This was towards the end of the data collection stage of our social experiment, and it seems our message got across.

7. Learn with it

spoon

Photo by Wendy Sun

Knowledge is best served on a silver spoon, amirite?

Seriously, though – seeing a jumbo spoon is the perfect study break for bleary-eyed students at the library. And while you’re at it, why not gift them with another much-needed distraction in the form of Spoon articles?

The Takeaway

Have no shame, and shame will not have you. For God, for Country, and for Spoon.