From athletic competition to various social festivities, the 44 social clubs on campus played an integral role in college life. After chapel and between classes the Student Center was mobbed by a barrage of faithful members reading the club boxes for information regarding upcoming events. Pizza parties, interclub devotionals, formal banquets, hayrides . almost every imaginable type of gathering was held. Freshmen and transfer students got their first taste of the social scenario during the weeks preceding the dreaded Pledge Week. The traditional Women's Open House was again hosted on the front lawn, For some the afternoon was one of revelation as it became clear in which club they desired membership, for others however, the only revelation was that of increased confusion, Men's clubs hosted numerous mixers in an attempt to aid the decision making process. At last, preference sheets were turned in and the voting pro· cess bgan. Concluding a week of apprehensiv.e waiting, bids were handed out on Monday night. It 192· Social Clubs was a night of reJoIcing for some, while others were forced to deal with the pain of disappOintment. The traditional Razz night was replaced by Orientation night in an attempt to acquaint pledges and pledge· masters alike with the spirit of Pledge Week_ New restrictions banning pledge kissing or stealing other pledges paraphernalia challenged pledgemasters to find more creative tasks_ By Friday evening exhausted pledges wearily awaited Rough Night, finding solace in the fact that Saturday morning they could at last sleep in_ As the semester progressed attention focused on Halloween parties, Fall outings, service pr.ojects and Christmas parties. The challenge of finding a date to each event was met be some and conveniently avoided by others. Regardless, it was a time of meeting new individuals united by a common bond_ Typically, the spring semester began with promises to become more involved in academic studies but with the passage of time, club activities began to demand more and more attention. Spring Sing '81 was produced amidst a flurry of ._-------- excitement, as 20 clubs participated in 11 separate acts. The overwhelming winner was Chi Sigma Alpha and Regina's presentation of "Cancel My Reservation." Each of the participating clubs, however, proved to be a winner in their own right. All too soon finals loomed ahead, beyond that lay summer school and the promise of a oil vacation. For those that chose to remain for the summer sessions an entirely different social scenarie was evident on the Harding campus. It was interesting when occasionally two students who did not know each other before worked together and were able to become close friends, later realizing that their stereotyped impression of the others particular club was in error. It made one wonder what good friendships were sacrificed for the sake of a label. While clubs provided an open door to new friendships and a sense of belonging, they also provided opportunities to serve, lead, work and compete. Most importantly, it was the people involved in the various activities which made social clubs at Harding unique, not the ac· tivities themselves. c;i). - Jennifer Istre. Social Clubs editor - John Radcliffe z
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==