For the third year, Nu Kappa Psi wrapped up its pledging season with its probate at the Beauchamp Amphitheater, drawing in both students and alumni to celebrate new members.
Roland Campos, sophomore information systems major from Dallas and president of Noble Kings, said the probate gives the pledges a chance to show their culture and style. Eleven pledges crossed over to join current members, leaving the club with around 30 members to close out their third year on campus.
“This pledge class really has a personality of their own, they’re really goofy, especially when they’re together,” Campos said. “They’re all their own person.”
Campos, who pledged two years ago, said the probate was similar to when he participated.
“All the excitement comes from all of the pledges getting ready to perform, so the more into they are, the more they put into it, the better it will be,” Campos said.
Alex Boglin, freshman business management and marketing major from Atlanta, pledged this semester and was voted to be vice president for the upcoming year. Though he didn’t intend to pledge when he got here, he talked to some of the members and they encouraged him to at least fill out the form.
“I’m really glad I did it,” Boglin said. “It’s cool to think that they trust me like this and think highly of me just as I do them. I don’t know too much about clubs in general because I’m a freshman, but I’m going to do my best and give my all for these guys and my brothers in this club.”
Throughout pledging, Boglin said his favorite part was getting to know his brothers on a deeper level and create tighter bonds. For a couple of days every week of pledging, they practiced their probate performances.
The probate lasted about an hour and consisted of chants, dances/steps and an outro in which the pledges are unmasked.
“The probate was a crazy experience for sure, just being up there, looking at the crowd, it’s really cool and I look forward to more,” Boglin said. “It went beyond what I expected it to be. It’s mind-boggling, really.”
Though this was only the third probate, some club alumni traveled back to Abilene from Dallas and Austin to watch the group make the transition from pledges to members.
“It’s really cool to think that club means so much to them that they want to keep coming back to see people they’ve never met before get to the goal of being a king. It speaks a lot on how deep the relationships and bonds are,” Boglin said.
For next year, the officer team is considering more ways to promote Noble Kings around campus.
“It takes little steps to get the club to where we want to get it, but it’s in a great place right now.
“I can’t imagine not being part of this club and part of this brotherhood,” Boglin said. “We’re still riding that high, it was a crazy experience.”
