With more than 300 students already registered to pledge next fall, the stage is set for a large turnout at Thursday’s All-Club Rush.
After a pledging interest meeting last week, registration opened early Tuesday morning and Mark Jackson, assistant director of student organizations and programs, said 320 students signed up within the first three hours.
Trojans president Chris Kirklin said All-Club Rush signifies the beginning of the rest of the process to come.
“All-Club Rush helped narrow my decision down,” said Kirklin, a junior accounting major from Richardson. “I was easily able to visit all Men’s Clubs and get a better perspective of which clubs I specifically wanted to rush and could see myself being a part of.”
Kirklin also said the addition of spring pledging earlier this semester won’t change landscape of the event in the slightest, because “rushees” are coming in with an open mind.
“Trojans have been preparing for a while now,” Kirklin said. “Organizing what we will be doing at the rush, hyping up our club about meeting new guys, and anticipating for the rushing season to begin!”
All 11 clubs active this semester will participate in the rush. Sub T-16 is under suspension but may accept pledges in the fall, Jackson said.
Jackson said he only made one request to change the event from last spring.
“Probably the biggest adjustment and the biggest complaint is the GATA Fountain being on and the wind that we have in Abilene that blows the water everywhere,” Jackson said. “The request has been to have the GATA fountain off so that’s probably the biggest change.”
The event is set to run from 5-7 p.m. and each club will have a food or drink of some sort. As similar as the event remains from year to year, Jackson said All-Club Rush gives students considering pledging a chance to meet members and for the clubs to showcase themselves.
“It’s really about them [clubs] starting to sell themselves,” Jackson said. “The spring is so much more about the club trying to almost woo the prospective students, and the fall is more about the student trying to woo the club.”
Newly elected Ko Jo Kai president Kennedi Ross said All-Club Rush is a good opportunity for freshman to come feel out the club vibe, but it’s interesting to see the process evolve as the rushing season moves forward.
“Some people go into it just gung-ho for one club and they will pledge another club in the fall,” said Ross, a junior interior design major from Lubbock. “And that’s just all about going to as many rushes as you can and that’s how you really figure out the personality of the club.”
After this week, each club will be allowed two more rushes this semester and three when school resumes in the fall. Pledging registration will also remain open until September.
