fa Pi Sophomores Moll yMorris ond Ashley Corr stand under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Oct. 16. Marris and Carr were twa of six girls who were members of a friend– ship circle coiled I Eta Pi. -Courtesy of Jenne Roosevelt Women bond, create social club alternative Sophomores Molly Morris, Jenna Roosevelt and Taylor Cloninger found a table in the student center and waited for sophomore AshleyCarr ro get her food. Theywaved over sophomores Rachel Walters and 10jo £Ilion to the table and made jokes that Carr was usually the one they had (0 wait for. The six women lived on mefirst Hoor of Kendall Hall and called themselves ") Era Pi," after a club Carr's aune was in when shewas ar Harding in the 70s. "Iminkher club may havebeenadietingdub."Carr said. "We are definitely not a dieting club." The women all mer under dHferem circumscances. Some knew each other from Honors Symposium; some had met because their brothers were best friends at Harding; others met while overseas with Harding's program in Greece. All of the women were members ofthe Honors College. "We were all friends, and when we foundOut none of the rest of us had [joined a social dub], we kind of started the dub as a joke," Morris said. The women even planned events as alternatives [0 the university's Club Week. "Friday nighr offInduction Week 2004], we went to Mi Ranchico because everybody elsewas doing dub stuff," Cloninger said. "Mi Ranchito has become the official dub restaurant." 1he women had door signs with their names in the dub colors, turquoise and brown. They ralked about getting jerseys and were also thinking about making sweatshircs and T-shirts. Although nor an official universiey social dub, the womenhad four beaux: sophomore:; &ikSchrnmm, Man McMullen and Dan Hunt and junior Mark Rucker. "They were aU guys we hung out with an)"vay," Morris said. Likemost dubs, the women wanted to make the beaux reel special. "We JUSt had beau appreciation," Roosevelt said. "They had someming in their mailboxes every time they went to check them." The men said they appreciated the women and their friendship. "These girls are amazing," Hunt said. The women hosted parries for everyone's birthdays, ace chili at the Honors House and watched "Gilmore Gi rls" together every Tuesday night. "We had Jojo's tea parey," Walters said. "And we did a project together on the Day of Service." The women planned a cookout for themselves and meir friends. "We're planning a cookout, and there will probably be 20 people arrending," Cloninger said. "It's usually I Era Pi and friends." With three of rhe women overseas in the spring, me women created a blog on the Internet co keep in COllmct with each other. "Thar way we can keep up wich each ochers' lives," Elliott said. They talked about doing a mission trip together and maybe starting a church rogether when they graduated. The women came from all over the United S~ues, andeach it.1.d adifferent major, but theybonded together and said (hey felt they balanced each other well. "Some of us are from the South; some are from me North," Carr said. "Some ofus are more Outgoing; sorne are less outgoing." The dubwas not just about spending time together, Morris So1.id. "There is also a spiritual aspect of our group," Morris said. "We're all a source of encouragement to each other." Elliot liked the club because of the loyalty of dle women. "It's a great thing to know chat these people are there ifyou need them," Elliott said. ·Jennifer Allen
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