Women\u2019s social club Ko Jo Kai (KJK) is celebrating its 80th anniversary this Homecoming weekend with a tailgate reunion at 11 a.m. Saturday before the football game. The reunion will be birthday party themed to bring former and current members of KJK to celebrate their club, according to sophomore Kaley Hill, one of the sunshine girls of KJK and event organizer.<\/p>\n
The social club was established in 1939, and is one of the oldest women\u2019s social clubs on campus. Their motto is \u201cuniversal friendship and appreciation of life,\u201d according to KJK president, senior Ava Galyean.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something that is so prevalent in our club today, and transcends through different generations of women who were in Kojies back in the day,\u201d Galyean said. <\/p>\n
Alumna Emily Hoggard was a member of KJK from 2000 to 2003 during her time as a student at Harding. Hoggard and her husband returned to Searcy a few years after graduating, and soon after, she became a sponsor for KJK as a way to get involved with the students and to relive her days as a Kojie. She has been a club sponsor for 10 years. <\/p>\n
Hoggard said the relationships that are formed remained a fundamental part of KJK since her time as a student.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say that any club really has just one type of person.\u201d Hoggard said. \u201cI think as you get to know people you realize that no club has just one type of person. So it\u2019s not really that that binds us together \u2014 our personalities \u2014 but it\u2019s just like a sisterhood and going through common experiences and things like that. I think that has not changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accounts receivable clerk Tish Elrod has been a sponsor for over 30 years, including when the other three current sponsors were members, according to Hoggard. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s neat to get to serve in that role with her,\u201d Hoggard said. \u201cYou look at sponsors as kind of the rule enforcers, but it\u2019s been awesome to be on the other side of it and see how much she really loves the club and loves the girls and wants what\u2019s best for us. So I think that\u2019s kind of a neat aspect.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hoggard said most, if not all, of the alumnae who will be attending the reunion will have had Elrod as a sponsor.<\/p>\n
Sophomore Jewel Gilbert, sophomore Taylor Hodgekiss, and freshman Bobbie Ellis serve alongside Hill as sunshine girls for KJK, and they all said they are most excited to have alumnae come back to celebrate 80 years, relive past years as a Kojie and reflect on some long-standing traditions. <\/p>\n
Hoggard said it will be fun for former members to see what traditions their club is still upholding since their time as students, such as their Christmas ornament exchange event.<\/p>\n
Galyean said as every social club goes through phases through the years, she has loved serving KJK as president because she\u2019s been able to see the club grow from a different perspective. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have seen Kojies grow more in my time at Harding than I ever thought possible,\u201d Galyean said. \u201cMy heart could not be more proud of the leadership, kindness, determination and sisterhood that is exemplified by these girls every day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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