Social clubs will invite pledges and begin the fall 2019 pledging process on Call Night, Oct. 3.

There are 12 social clubs on campus that will be accepting pledges. The six female social clubs are Alpha Kai Omega, Delta Theta, GATA, Ko Jo Kai, Sigma Theta Chi and Tri Kappa Gamma. The six male social clubs are Frater Sodalis, Galaxy, Gamma Sigma Phi, Nu Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa and Trojans.

Greta Norris, sophomore marketing major from Trophy Club, said the rushing process is taking up a lot of her time.

“I did not realize how much money I would spend on rush outfits,” Norris said. “Overall, it has been such a fun process and I hope to continue going through it and continue gaining a community that I have always wanted to be a part of.”

All rushes will end Oct. 1. Bart Herridge, dean of student engagement and retention, said there are not many changes to the pledging process this year.

“I think the biggest change so far has been the registration process,” Herridge said.

Participants interested in rushing and pledging this year were required to register online through the ACU Connect app.

“There are some changes within the Texas hazing law that we’re going to have to comply with that are going to change some things about the way we communicate,” Herridge said. “All pledges and all club members will be made aware of that.”

All participants were required to attend an anti-hazing meeting Sept. 24 or 25.

Herridge said he encourages students to walk into the rushing process with an open mind.

“We have a long history of [social clubs] at ACU,” Herridge said. “A lot of people go into this process thinking this is the club that they want and I just try to encourage students to be very open minded because there’s a lot of clubs that may, or may not, be on their radar at the beginning. And as they get to the end of the process they may find that they connect with the people in that group more than they did the one that they thought going in.”

Once participants receive a bid from a social club the pledging process will take approximately three weeks.

Herridge said they are in the process of hiring for the position of social club coordinator. Currently, they are operating under the system of a committee to coordinate social club events.