It always makes me smile when I read or hear about pledging related topics. Every year we see articles and hear students talking about social clubs.

A lot of these opinions refer to these clubs as buying friends, needless activity, unnecessary expense, and not following the mission that they claim to be following. Often these people put down those that are pledging right to their face. They feel (or give the impression) as if they are above and beyond the pledging experience and that they are better people for not pledging. Every year I hear or read this I think the same thing. Who cares?

I do not know why so many people feel like it is their mission to put down social clubs. It is shocking to them that other people do not have the same views. Has anyone considered why people continue to pledge social clubs even though so much negative things are written and said about them? It is because people are different and have different views.

If you choose not to pledge, that is your choice. My respect for a person does not change if a person decides to pledge or not pledge. I could care less about their club affiliation. What I do not respect are people that put down pledges because they decided to take on a personal challenge. These people claim to be Christians, but they will not support those around them in what they decide to do. Some will not even offer words of encouragement knowing that the pledge process is a hard commitment. They put down their fellow Christians, make them feel like they are inferior, and then walk away feeling superior. That to me is less Christian than a club not glorifying the Lord in public. Leave the pledges and members alone and worry about something else.

Richard Keker

senior accounting major from Sugar Land