Written by Jessica Ardrey
Club Week: For some, it is every reason to avoid the student center for five days. For others, it is the opportunity to lay the foundations for some of the deepest friendships they will ever have. The pledge books, the minor dates, the cheers and the occasional show tune performances are all a part of the rite of passage known as Club Week.
Despite the stress and pressures of learning names and memorizing songs, the goal is to build relationships with other members and inductees.
Tish Elrod has been a sponsor for Ko Jo Kai for 22 years and knows all the ins and outs of the process.
“Club Week is good when we remember that this isn’t really the ‘pledging’ atmosphere,” Elrod said. “It’s more about unity and trying to help people belong somewhere, but in a way that is uplifting and encouraging to them.”
She quickly learned that old members are not just working with an induction class.
“You’re dealing with individual personalities … that need specialized treatment,” Elrod said.
TNT member Stephen McBride pledged last year as a freshman and is enjoying his first experience on the other side.
Looking back, he remembers the tolls and rewards of the pledging.
“It showed me how far I could go, how little sleep I could get and still function,” McBride said. “Although on this side, it’s interesting to see what other people might have seen in me last year.”
According to McBride, the best part of the process is the carefree atmosphere, despite the chaos.
“I love the willingness of people to look silly, to set aside the social contract and really have fun for a week, even if they don’t realize it’s fun at the time,” McBride said.
The introduction of two new girls’ clubs presents a new perspective. Freshman Mindy Gross is an inductee in the first ever pledge class of Zeta Pi Zeta. This comes with a lot of responsibility.
“There are a lot of expectations for us. We’re the ones setting the standard for the future,” Gross said. “[The members] have really put their hearts and souls into this, and they’re counting on us. It tells a lot about them and about us that they chose us to trust the future of the club to.”
Just like the other inductees, she feels the strain of pledging.
“I get more scatterbrained as the week goes on,” Gross said.
She plans on making it through the week with “a lot of sugar and a lot of caffeine.”
During the week, clubs have different customs that have become traditions.
Pi Theta Phi members tell their inductees on Sunday night to dress as crazy as they can in club colors, orange and blue, the next day. Then, on Monday, they tell them to wear it all week.
PTP requires the president of the inductee class to wear a passed-down, decorated helmet, and also participates in the Silly Olympics with Zeta Rho, Ju Go Ju and Ko Jo Kai.
Zeta Rho girls must wear their big sister’s jersey in a bag around their necks all week. They also have to yell “you’re welcome” to trash cans that say “thank you” on the flap.
Shantih inductees are infamous for their tough love on Thursdays when they are required to “orange crush” any person of a member’s choosing.
Beta Omega Chi boys are easily spotted across campus with their neon orange hats that display their pledge name.
Alpha Tau plays “handicapped volleyball” with their sister club, Gata. In this game, Alpha Tau pledges have to overcome obstacles like carrying weights in both hands, carrying a basketball between one’s knees and perpetually belly-dancing while wearing a tutu.
Gamma Sigma Phi plays an annual football game against TNT and has Gamma Sigma Phi Day, in which inductees are only allowed to say “Gamma Sigma Phi,” despite any question they are asked.
These traditions are an integral part of the pledging process, but according to Elrod, the significance of Club Week lies elsewhere.
“It’s watching the excitement on the last night when they get that jersey, when they’re singing that song,” Elrod said. “It’s seeing the final result of everything they’ve worked so hard for.”
