By Steve Holt, Opinion Editor

This is not an anti-pledging column. It is not even an “I strongly suggest you don’t pledge” column.

Simply put, these are my observations from watching three years of pledging seasons come and go, close friends getting crazy then complacent about their social club and many people forgetting who they were before they “got in.”

First, one must never pledge because it seems like the cool thing to do. Lots of things seem like the cool thing to do, but what really determines “coolness” is how right it is for every individual.

Second, pay little to no attention to club stereotypes before you check them all out. There are great people in all of the clubs on campus, and no single club is the “perfect angel” club. A friend overheard a freshman girl actually say the following: “I want to be in the Christian girl’s club, [insert club name here]!”

Prospective pledges should make their decision based on how well they seem to click with club members at rushes and teas, and how compatible they feel they are with the club’s portrayed mission.

Third, don’t pledge a social club in which you don’t think you will be able to remain yourself. Too many social clubs on campus define their members:

Oh, Chris? He’s a Moonie. He dates some DT, I think… [Writer’s note: most clubs define their members, not just the two mentioned]

Social clubs can often have a segregating effect as well. Don’t forget about all your freshman year friends, just because they pledge a different club or no club at all.

Finally, it is OK not to pledge. In fact, it is quite possible to make it out of college alive if one is not in a social club. Many have, and many will. If a person finds that his or her reasons for wanting to pledge seem in the least bit superficial, he or she should consider waiting a year or not pledging.

Many wonderful reasons exist for pledging a social club at ACU: Meeting more people after a tough freshman year and joining a band of Christian brothers or sisters are two of the best. If pledging is an option for you this fall, prayerfully consider this decision. While it really isn’t as big a deal as many on campus make it out to be, it can be if one doesn’t think through it rationally.