The introduction of new regulations on Bid Night and pledging have come with no small controversy and while the new rules are minor, this issue begs closer examination. Why are these changes necessary? And why has the reaction been so strong?
I think both of these questions can be answered at the same time. These changes are necessary, and the backlash is severe, because of the fundamental structure for social clubs on ACU’s campus, one that is often unhealthy (spiritually, physically, and mentally) and can inhibit real Christian community.
Before I go on, please note that my statements should not be construed as being against social clubs. Although I have personal problems with the system, my fundamental desire in this letter is to promote a university environment in which authentic Christian fellowship is the superlative goal. I have many friends who have had positive, wholesome experiences in their social clubs and I am not discounting those experiences, but we must not let our positive experiences cause us to overlook the real and pressing need for change.
In Christian community, confession and vulnerability are central to real relationship; in our current social club model, seeking approval is often what defines your relationship with other men or women. Through the process of rushing and pledging, potential members are encouraged to pursue the approval of others, conform to a standard and undergo physical and mental discomfort. You compete against others in order to portray yourself as the best possible candidate for a club, and then await the value judgment of another person to determine whether you are “worthy” of a bid. I have to wonder, if God is unscrupulous in his invitation to community, why do we discriminate? Why do we get to determine who is worthy to be part of a Christian brotherhood or sisterhood — if that is indeed what a social club is supposed to be? Yet social clubs stratify our campus. What’s worse, pledges too often endure emotional and physical abuse—hazing or not—in order to be part of a “family,” a fundamentally flawed beginning to what is supposed to be a meaningful community.
Real community should start with real issues, not manufactured ones. You may get to know another person well through artificial shared suffering (as problematic as that tactic is), but it’s a far cry from Christian fellowship. The starting point for pledges ought to be a vulnerable, substantive relationship, where we lay down our burdens for one another and take refuge in the promise that Christ has overcome the world. As cited by a recent petition, Jesus said that we will have trouble in this world — and what better way to trust in his promise than to address real troubles that we already struggle with? Authentic Christian community promises something more, something substantial, and the capability for this kind of community is limited under our current club model.
Our social club system is too often founded upon chasing the approval of others. It tells us to put away authenticity in favor of conformity. It is characterized by the belief that, by artificially creating trials, you can artificially create fellowship. In sum, thanks to our fundamental approach to induction and initiation, social clubs at ACU often fall short of what Christian community should really look like. If social clubs are going to continue to operate at ACU, they should scrutinize themselves and fix what’s wrong. The change has to start small, and adjusting Bid Night and pledging practices is an appropriate step forward. But as it stands, the social club culture at ACU is responsible for the emotional turbulence and physical strain it has inflicted upon some new members, and too frequently it runs contrary to many of the ideals that we strive for as believers in Christ. These new rules are just an outward sign — it’s long past time for change.
I have to wonder, “Special Contributor”, if you have pledged. If you had, you wouldn’t even be writing this. It’s hard to speak out about something you really know nothing about.
Sure, there can be changes, but the specific changes they are suggesting, are not the right ones.
I also have a slight problem with this article.
First, let me start out with I see what you mean about clubs sometimes being a bad thing. I think a lot of people see it as a means for people to get together and party or whatnot, but those people would be doing it anyway if they were not in a club. Many of them were participating before they were even in. I know you did not address this as an issue but I am sure it is something you thought about when writing.
I always grew up a Christian, but I never really found God until I pledged. Not because of the process of actually pledging, but I tried to pledge one club and did not get in so while I tried others, I decided to wait a year. After not getting in again (which isn’t heard of often), I looked at my other options and ended up in TKG. I totally believe it was a God thing because I know I would not have been as happy in the original club I wanted to be in. God works in mysterious ways and for some people, it is the hard times that motivate them. Sometimes being surrounded by your “sisters” or “brothers” helps motivate you to be a better person. I know that clubs aren’t perfect. They are made of people and humans themselves are not perfect, that’s just the way it is going to be.
I, along with many current students and alumni, also see the good that clubs bring, the community, the accountability, and even the responsibility you learn from trying to balance it all. The reason pledging is not easy is because you only have a few weeks to bond and be a sisterhood or brotherhood. You just can’t get people to be as close by just telling each other struggles. Yes, you can get closer doing that, but it is just a different feeling than with pledging. It even bonds you with people who pledged other clubs, it is not just a “my club only thing.” You are bonded to people in other clubs because of the silly and stupid situations you are put through.
I know a lot of people at ACU see the atmosphere as “Club” and “not club,” trust me, I see it too. But nearly everyone who goes through it believes that it is something that everyone needs to do. I am not proud of the fact that our campus is so closed off in that way, and it is seen that people who do not pledge have less of a social life. It is also the more social people attracted to things like club. They want that bond and that community to rely on. That is a stereotype, but there is truth in stereotypes.
Club is just something that is hard for people to fully comprehend who are not in, a part of, or were a part of it. Just like politics. No one really wants to hear an uneducated person (in politics) talk about it. They just sound like they don’t know what they are talking about. Where as, you don’t always want to hear politicians talk either because it is too much and it’s just like, stop.
I see club as something that most people are very glad they did, and something they would never do again. I encourage everyone to be in a club because it truly is one of the greatest things on earth. There is just nothing else like it and not something you can share with others about. It is an experience that changes you forever and typically a good thing. You have to learn things, like responsibility and balance because otherwise, you fail classes and then you learn from that too. I know that it is not something that everyone can handle and that is okay. You receive a sense of community that you never had before, and people you can always rely on. Someone can always be there for you in a time of need. In most cases, there are about 100 people in a club and at most times, there will be at least one person free. It might not be the person you want, but when you are stranded in the middle of the road with a wreck or a flat tire and all you want to see is a familiar face, does it really matter?
There are pros and cons to both larger clubs and smaller clubs. It is not something that can be decided for you, it is something you decide yourself by what you want and what you really need.
I know the previous commenter basically said, “don’t speak about what you don’t know,” But it really is hard to understand something that you have never experienced. You might not have trouble making friends or having a community, but let the people who struggle with it have a chance too. It forces people out of their comfort zones and really grows people so I do not see it as a problem. I am aware that there are problems, and maybe that is something that should be addressed. But not in the way that it has since it obviously causes a backlash. But if so many people want to be a part of this thing, maybe there is something wrong with the university itself that causes people to want to search for that.