The men’s social club Nu Kappa Psi, also called Noble Kings, will not take pledges in the fall and will wait until the spring to accept new members.

Noble Kings president Shakur Smith said the club will focus on laying foundations for traditions and values while fundraising for club expenses.

“We don’t have alumni to pull from like other clubs have,” Smith said.

The club is looking for another sponsor to join its current sponsor Dr. Jerry Taylor, associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry. Changes to pledging also affected the club’s choice not to take pledges this fall, Smith said.

“We want to take time to observe the climate and see what’s going on,” Smith said. “We don’t want to run into something that’s starting to change.” 

The club officially rechartered last year with 27 members. Although some members graduated, this year the club has a total of 18 members. The club did not have traditional formals and socials, but Smith said the club did bonfires or whatever members wanted to do. The club did not participate in Sing Song, but some members helped women’s social club Tri Kappa Gamma with its act.

When Noble Kings first started in 2015, the founding members’ goal was to bring a more diverse club to campus. With predominantly black members, the club developed a reputation of being a “black club.”

“Being a black club has no negative connotations to us,” Smith said. “We’re not exclusive. Anyone who can embrace our culture and our values can be a part of what we’re doing.”