The Office of Student Life has made the decision to cancel all spring pledging events due to nationwide concerns over the spread of the COVID-19.
Kevin Campbell, senior vice president of operations, said with students not potentially returning until April 13, it would take time to get organized and ramped up.
“By the time we did that, we’d be too close to the end of the semester and pledging would interfere with the preparation with closing the semester and with academic finals,” Campbell said. “We felt that with the timing of situation it is best to not have a spring pledge class this year. We hope that everything will pick back up normally in the fall and that all of the individuals that were hoping to pledge in the spring will do so this upcoming fall semester.”
Several social clubs had intentions of accepting a spring pledge class, including the women’s club of Alpha Kai Omega and the men’s clubs of Pi Kappa, Trojans and Nu Kappa Psi. Social clubs will begin pledging events in the fall, including men’s club Sub T-16, who had previously been on suspension from accepting pledges.
“Sub T has completed the requirements that have been put in place,” Campbell said. “So the next time that we have a pledging period, Sub T would be back in the fall like every other club and be able to accept pledges.”
The cancelation of pledging events has been disheartening to some active members of social clubs, such as Sierra Sumner, junior kinesiology major and president of Alpha Kai Omega. Alpha Kai Omega, as well as, Pi Kappa, Trojans and Nu Kappa Psi began hosting rush events before students left campus for spring break. Even though there is disappointment within social clubs, students are optimistic for what pledging in the fall holds for them.
“Obviously, we are all very saddened that we cannot go through with spring pledging, but we know it is for the best of the campus and the community as a whole,” Sumner said. “I think that by canceling spring pledging, it only prepares us for the fall. We did get to have one rush with them, so we have created those relationships and we hope to keep in contact with those girls and show them that Alpha Kai loves them whether they decide to pledge in the fall or not.”
