Yesterday morning was Chapel Sing 2013! A grueling forty minutes of painstaking singing of the school song with the occasional Sphinx Club member dropping by to see how well you can sing the school song. And by “dropping by” I mean one, two, or three Sphinx Club members dropping by to yell in your ear different lines of the song, singing at different tempos louder than you, or just generally messing with you. All in the attempt to get the singer to mess up even one world, red card them, and send them into the Chapel to get a red W at their second time of seeing the song. Fare enough to say, it is not easy or altogether pleasant doing this for forty minutes. However, it is very rewarding when all is said and done.

Chapel Sing has been around for over one hundred years now and is among the stronger of traditions at the college. Only Sphinx club members are allowed to participate with the competitors, which are every fraternity’s pledge classes and any independents that may wish to participate. The Sphinx, if you do not know, is also one of the more noticeable “traditions” of the college. Wally’s attire is model after the Sphinx Club overalls and pot in fact. The idea of the Sphinx Club is to protect and continue on the traditions of the college as time passes over the years, and to keep Wabash strong and founded in its cultural roots.

This year Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) walked away from Chapel Sing with only one W, and a good showing as one of the Top Five pledge classes to go into the Chapel for a group singing. However, because of that one W a disappointing fourth place came in the end to the pledges of Phi Gamma. Now, Chapel Sing is also apart of a point system and event in all of Homecoming itself. The other items being how each house is to build a float, banner, devise a chant, and choose a queen. Yes, choose a queen. No, it is not a real woman. Oh the luxuries of all male… But, each of those count for different points in the competition, with Chapel Sing have the greatest number of points. By the end of the week all items are judged and a fraternity is awarded as the winner of their respective events and Homecoming altogether. It can also be the most stressful week of the year for some freshman, but well worth the results that come with it.

WAF.

This week has been its own sets and ups and downs, and possibly one of the more stressful situations I’ve had. One of the hardest struggles people can have sometimes is fighting self-doubt and a lack of confidence to try and overcome the unknown and adversity. Sometimes one of the easiest things to do is simply quit and give up. Just try and walk away from your problems and leave them “behind.” Because really, does any person ever truly leave their problems behind them?

This past week, overcome by some issues with certain people, the new stress of classes at Wabash, pledgeship, and cross country I thought the best thing for me to do was de-pledge Phi Gamma Delta. After a week of thought and issues I decided that was what I needed to do, even though I had no solid reason why in my heart or mind. That’s why last night I went to my house president, talked to him, depledged. After, I talked to some close upperclassmen in the home, my parents, and had a late night of studying I didn’t feel fulfilled with my decision. Come morning I had gone to the dean, received my change in housing assignment, and by a certain point, visited my new housing and briefly met my new roommate. After a long talk last night and again today after cross country practices with a senior on the team and in the house, I decided I needed to stay.

What is needed to be said here is that things can stink, you can really hate the “now,” but you can’t let fear blind how you deal with things. I realized how much some people do care about me, and what it does take to accept a brotherhood you are given. It may have only been a day (if that), but I know how I feel now about this house and what I want out of Wabash.

Go Greek.

Being my first blog ever I want to put forth a few things about myself prior to coming to Wabash. I hail from my Alma Mater of Logansport High School, in Logansport, Indiana. At my high school I ran varsity cross country for four years, and did swimming and track as well for four years. I took French in high school, AP World and European History, as well as AP Literature and Composition English. This past February I finished my Eagle Project and was award the rank of Eagle Scout shortly after.

Kaufman ’17

Now time to talk about Wabash and how I first ended up here. My swim coach in high school is a Wabash alumni, my neighbor and close family friend was also a Wabash alumni, and well, Wabash had been nothing more than a back thought to me early on because of those two men. Originally I wanted to attend Holy Cross, at Notre Dame or Indiana University Bloomington was I was going through high school. Then, the summer leading into my junior year I had two opportunities that shaped my ideas on where I may have wanted to go to college. First, I was elected as a delegate for my school and American Legion post to attend Hoosier Boys State at Trine University.  Second, I was chosen to attend the Coast Guard Academy’s summer AIM Program, which was a total living hell. But, like some other people I know, my first visit to Wabash College came as a result of a call from Kevin Andrews ’10 to come to the campus to accept a scholarship as a result of attending Hoosier Boys State. Honestly, who just ignores free money? That involved a walk around campus, a walk on stage, and a brief history of the campus, buildings, and traditions.

Naturally, once I expressed interest in Wabash, Kevin Andrews, working for Admissions in my area, as a previous president and brother of FIJI began to influence my thoughts towards that fraternity. As well as my second cousin Rick, whom was a year ahead of me and FIJI pledge at the time. So when I came on a visit day in the fall and for Honor Scholar Weekend I was, of course, housed at FIJI. A number of the guys in the house ran cross country, more were very welcoming, and the house seemed to be a great place to fit in. That’s how I decided to go Greek at FIJI.

Now, I have gone through my first four days of college classes, have started my third week of running cross country for the college, and pledgeship has still yet to officially start at FIJI. I plan on becoming a Bio major, and then going on to podiatry school after my four years at Wabash. But don’t confuse me with your common foot doctor, I want to be involved with large shoe companies like New Balance, Saucony, Altra, etc. One thing I can tell you after only two weeks here is that time management is key to success. Classes, cross country, Chapel Sing practice, and general studying all consume more time than any high schooler can ever understand.

Just remember, Wabash from day one is about work ethic, determination, and learning how to be a Wabash Man. So it’s time to get to work.