Written by Michelle L Makool
“We, we love you, love you, JJJ…..Ju Go Ju,” could be heard coming from Cone Chapel on Nov. 6.
Generations of women united by the social club Ju Go Ju came together to celebrate the club’s 85th anniversary during Homecoming weekend.
Senior Erin Powell, president of Ju Go Ju, along with a committee of members, began planning for the event last March. They decided the theme would be “85 Years of Class.”
“We came up with that theme because, as ladies of Ju Go Ju, we try to strive to be classy young women,” junior committee member Christa Smith said. “This image has been number one for us for 85 years, so it only seemed appropriate.”
The alumni office had a list of 1,100 previous Ju Go Ju members; the committee sent out approximately 900 invitations to members with updated addresses, and about 100 people showed up to the event. Once at the event, the current members strove to mingle with the former members.
“With so much heritage and the fact that we were all in the same club at some point provided enough common ground for all of us to visit together,” Powell said. “The older ladies told us stories from when they were members, and we all got up and sang songs and did chants together.”
While the current members enjoyed hearing club stories from the past, former members said they were hit with a feeling of nostalgia.
“My favorite part of being in Ju Go Ju was the feeling of being part of a group of girls that were so close,” former member Shauna Roddenberry said. “We had very different interests, lives and majors, but we were close because of our values. I absolutely loved being a part of the Cutie Pies of the 80s.”
Ju Go Ju social club was established in 1925 and is the oldest women’s social club remaining on campus.
According to Sheri Shearin, dean of Women and former Ju Go Ju member, a few of the club’s traditions have changed over the years. One of the biggest changes that Shearin said she has seen is the traditions of induction.
“When I was in Ju Go Ju, we didn’t have mixers,” Shearin said. “We picked our top three clubs and were put in one. All clubs were the same size, and a larger percentage of the student body participated in clubs.”
Although some things have changed over the years, the club’s Bible verse — 1 Corinthians 13 — has remained.
“During Club Week it was really hard to memorize the entire chapter, but I think it is really cool that for so many years girls have been memorizing the same verse,” sophomore Jordan Pillow said. “Like we are all united through God; memorizing the verse gives all of us members a special bond.”
Throughout the years the club has had different members and faced changes in traditions, but the ladies of Ju Go Ju were still able to share a sense of unity at the 85th reunion.
“Friends you make in your club are friends for life,” Shearin said. “There is a bond that you can never erase.”
