I remember freshman year as if it were yesterday.

Welcome Week was a blast and I had met so many new people. I was excited about my classes and the people I would meet. I had never visited ACU before and  I hadn’t really heard of  the school, so this all was a new experience for me.

The first couple weeks were great, I loved seeing everyone and getting to know them. I thought Abilene Christian University was the coolest school ever.

Then, something crazy happened.

Pledging started.

My day started off with Chapel because I didn’t have classes before then. As I walked by the little fountain (I didn’t know the name of it at the time) girls were yelling “G-A-T-A!! Wanna be a GATA!”. I was extremely confused by the yelling and the outfits, but I didn’t let it stay in my mind for long.

As I walked into Chapel, the doors were held open for me by girls in yellow skirts, and things seemed a little different. Some of the guys were dressed up in suits, girls were wearing different colors and carrying around binders. Chapel was dismissed and I walked to the Bean and I could see girls swaying on a bench saying, “I will respect Kojie Park.”

By this time my confusion was building, and I wondered what had happened to all the normal people I had met. But then I was finally enlightened and was told that aliens had not taken over my friends bodies, they were just pledging.

If you are a freshman like I was, this week has probably been a little confusing for you. Last week everyone was dressing in their own style and this week they are nowhere to be found.

This is the pledging process that happens here on campus. Every year sophomores and above are allowed to rush any social club they would like.

So do not be worried when you see people walking around wearing strange clothes, guys carrying rocks or girls yelling strange things. It’s not ACU changing, it’s just the pledging process.