Editor’s Note: This article is a humor column
Recently, the entire University community seemed to be caught up in the spectacle of rush. All over Grounds, prospective sorority pledges have fought to prove themselves as the most worthy candidates. Every night of the week, panhellenic parties have been positively poppin’. But with rush season comes unfortunate casualties, and this year the circumstances were more harrowing than most.
There have been reports of inter-sorority leg day, a “mini skirts for more money” fundraiser and a bikini car wash and snowball fight combo featuring prospective sorority pledges. These were all a means for the sorority candidates to prove themselves and their bodies. Most concerningly, however, four prospective bids for the Flubba Kappa Wubba sorority were sent to the hospital late last month after being subjected to below freezing temperatures during their rush activities. Now that the four victims of the freezing weather festivities have been released from urgent care, we here at The Cavalier Daily spoke to them to get the inside scoop.
First-year College of Arts and Sciences student, Bayleigh McDonald said, “I thought it would be fine at first, but the longer we went on, the worse it got. I was shivering even harder than that time I got electrocuted by my Temu rose toy. I mean, I’m from California. I’m not used to this kind of weather.”
First-year School of Architecture student Kayleigh McPoyle echoed this sentiment, adding, “I was prepared to have my spirit crushed, my looks ridiculed, basically my entire personality whittled down to dust so I could be recruited and built back up again. I was NOT prepared to be outside in a mini skirt while it was negative ten degrees outside.”
When asked to recount the events they had partaken in, a similar story emerged. Apparently, before any official rush activities began, Flubba Kappa Wubba hosted a preliminary round of testing referred to as the “thinning of the herd.” This event consisted of several hours of time spent outside in mini skirts, sundresses and other weather-inappropriate clothing. Any girls who left to go home during the thinning were dismissed from rush entirely and blacklisted from all bids. The handful of girls who froze completely in place during the thinning were also dismissed — once they thawed, of course.
First-year School of Engineering and Applied Science student, Hayleigh McMahon said, “I was trying so hard to stay strong, but my body just couldn’t take it. I was so excited too, I had this skirt from Lululemon’s Beautiful Basic B-tch collection. I was hoping it might score me some popularity points, but it was so cold that my potential for popularity points was pretty much nonexistent. I think it was the third or fourth hour outside when I tapped out.”
And tap out she did. Hayleigh was by far the most severe of the sorority cases the hospital saw, needing several stitches after going out cold. Literally. After recovering from her fall, doctors even said Hayleigh also experienced delusions and hallucinations, chanting “Flubba Kappa, Wubba Woo! I love my sisters, yes it’s true!” at inopportune times of the day and night. Eventually, someone had to tell her that she wasn’t actually in the sisterhood. The hospital declined to comment on her emotional state following this revelation.
Far and wide in the University community, the “thinning of the herd” has sparked debate about harmful sorority practices. The dialogue has gone so far through the Yik Yak grapevine that it even prompted Flubba Kappa Wubba’s chapter President, McBraylaleigh McGrathkacarthy, to issue a response. Posted on the U.Va. Flubba Kappa Wubba instagram three days after the hospitalizations was the following statement —
“On behalf of the illustrious Flubba Kappa Wubba sorority, we humbly apologize for the harm experienced by prospective bids during rush. However. It’s very important to remember that seeing our prospective sorority members’ calves is an important part of the rush process. It helps us to make informed decisions about who joins the sisterhood. Furthermore, the thinning of the herd was supposed to thin. the. herd. Which it did. And if these girls weren’t weak, they would’ve been fine. So you know what, technically we’re not at fault for anything, apology REVOKED. XOXO, McBraylaleigh Grace McGrathkacarthy.”
The Cavalier Daily reached out to McBraylaleigh for a follow-up statement after the divisive post, but she, along with the rest of the sisters of Flubba Kappa Wubba, declined to respond.
The University Judiciary Committee, however, has already brought charges to Flubba Kappa Wubba and reportedly maintained contact with the girls who were harmed since their trip to the hospital. In a public statement, the UJC has promised to “... reach a decision that will restore the dignity of the four prospective bids and garner justice in the wake of the horrific hazing they experienced.”
In the days following their hospitalization, Bayleigh, Kayleigh and Hayleigh’s bodies have made an impressive full recovery. However, the four remain unsure that their spirits ever will.
When asked about the chain of events leading to Flubba Kappa Wubba’s crazy catastrophic controversy, prospective fraternity pledges all had a similar response. Reactions were summed up by a statement from first-year College of Engineering and Applied Sciences student, Connor Shipton who said, “People went to the hospital? Damn, that sucks.”
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