By Lori Bredemeyer, Managing Editor

Prospective social club members will participate in Bid Night on Friday after being involved in three weeks of rushes. The students ranked clubs Wednesday and received bids Thursday night.

Mike Spell, adviser of social clubs, said 148 men and 233 women ranked clubs Wednesday, for a total of 381 students.

He said the rushes went well, but he is ready to move beyond rushing and Bid Night activities to pledging.

“Overall, the process has been exhausting,” he said. “There is a lot of paperwork and organization that takes place in the weeks up to Bid night. We are looking forward to being into the pledging season.”

Spell said his office has been preparing for Bid Night by talking to club members about the night’s events.

“My office has spent much time with each club in discussions about their Bid Night activities,” he said. “Each club has prepared activities that complement their organization.”

Pledging begins next week and will continue for about four weeks through Homecoming. Pledges will help build their club’s Homecoming Parade float, participate in visits with club members and play in or cheer for their club’s intramural team, among other activities.

As pledging proceedings are about to be in full swing, Spell said things have gone well in his first semester as adviser after he took charge of social clubs from his wife, Amanda. He said she helps him when he has questions, and overall, he has been pleased with the process.

“I feel really good about the way things have gone with this being my first year,” he said. “With Mary Kay Mitchell as the administrative coordinator working with social clubs, things have gone very well. She has been involved in the process now for four years and has been wonderful in helping me with the nuts and bolts of the pledging process.”