Starting this spring, freshmen at Oklahoma Christian University will have the opportunity to participate in club rush for the first time in two decades.
Molly Burke, Director of Freshman Experience and Staff Counselor At Oklahoma Christian, has been part of the administrative process in deciding this change.
“[Freshman Rush] is definitely something that has been brewing for several years,” Burke said. It used to be the structure and about 20 years ago it changed,” Burke said. It is my understanding that it was the hope of several board members that we would go back to this structure.”
Oklahoma Christian announced their decision to change club rush rules in August of this school year. Burke notes this decision,
“Now, it feels very abrupt, and it looks very abrupt, because no matter what it is going to be a shock to the system,” Burke said. “We can see at ACU, Oklahoma Baptist and some other Christian schools in the last few years have gone back to having freshman rush in the Spring. It’s kind of a field-wide change to go back to more traditional experiences.”
Burke goes on to note the decision to revert to freshman rush came with its own set of challenges.
“Change is hard and we knew there was going to be fallout and reactions. But, other than a lack of applause and some booing that happened on club night, people have been really eager to understand what is going on,” Burke said. “I think that speaks volumes to the character of our students, that they’re willing to ask questions before placing blame.”
Freshman Ariel Howarth, majoring in interior architecture, provides insight on the conflicts and stresses which freshman rush is bringing to her experience at Oklahoma Christian.
“I have heard a lot of things about the benefits of not rushing freshman year, but it will be interesting to see the benefits that we experience with rushing,” Howarth said. “I think there is a lot of tension with everyone. It’s stressful because the sophomores are not very happy about it, they feel like they’re getting cheated. Freshmen are intimidated by that. It’s stressful to be brought into a completely new environment and then have something change that’s so drastic within the first week of our experience,” Howarth said.
The night freshman rush was officially announced to the student body at club night, freshmen and student life staff were met with booing from the crowd of sophomore rushees. Howarth explains her perspective of club night.
“When we first found out, a lot of the sophomores were teasing us,” Howarth said. “When they were walking out of the forum after we found out, they were looking down on us a little bit.”
Although there have been negative repercussions, Howarth has also received positive feedback.
“Some people have been very welcoming about it and excited that they are going to have more people in their clubs. It’s a mix of being intimidated but also welcomed,” Howarth said.
Sophomore biochemistry major Sage Qerama expresses her experience with this new change from the perspective of a sophomore who is rushing for clubs this fall after waiting her freshman year.
“A little bit unexpected, and I know they’re gonna try not to overshadow [sophomore] rush as freshmen, since this was our year. But I also can’t wait for freshmen to rush and get to build that community,” Qerama said. “I have heard from freshmen that they keep getting hate and a lot of the blame for this is being put on them,” Qerama said. “I do feel for the freshmen who have been impacted negatively from people who feel like this is unfair,” Qerama said. “We kind of stood out as Christian college for rushing sophomore year. I think it definitely was something that set us apart.”
Although this change comes with some personal conflicts for her, Qerama highlights ways she believes this change will impact the Oklahoma Christian community in a positive way.
“As a whole, I definitely think it’s more positive. I feel like sometimes freshman year can almost feel alienating. It’s hard to meet everybody and actually find that community with everyone as a whole,” Qerama said.
Student life staff are still working to create the model for freshman rush as the school year progresses.
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