.±¹šqÿíÖ©»Yõö

Mariah Kline
Alpha Omicron Pi

Puddle Pull, where do I even begin? Puddle Pull is a sport the Miami Chapter of Delta Upsilon began hosting in 1949. The event is a variation of tug-o-war in which sororities and fraternities select teams of 10 or eight to compete using strength and strategy. Teams are led by the caller who calls out commands instructing team members when to lockdown, cock (prepare to pull) or hit (pull). The spring version of the event is generally intended for new members and is sometimes referred to as Pledge Puddle Pull.

With all this pull you may be wondering, "Where is the puddle?" When the event originated, there was a pool of mud and water under the rope which the losing team could potentially be pulled into. However, the name sake puddle was deemed a safety hazard and has since been removed from the competition. 

I've always been a competitive person, but I'll admit I wasn't the first one on the list when my sorority started to organize a team. I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to grunt, thrust and roll around in the mud in front of most of my Greek peers. Not to cling to our stereotypes, but the whole thing seemed like the antithesis of sorority girl behavior. However, I'm 5'9'' and have played lacrosse my whole life so I was highly encouraged to give it a shot. Begrudgingly, I attended a few practices and learned some of the AOII signature moves. Practice was hard, and left me rope-burned and sore. I was surprised and impressed at the strategy that goes into Puddle Pull, but nonetheless I wasn't quite ready to sign the roster.

In true generation Y form, I attempted to calm my anxiety by googling the event, this was a bad idea. The videos that came up only made me less enthusiastic. Unfortunately, many of my fellow "babies" had the same attitude and the team perspectives were looking pretty thin. My sisters needed me to man up (pun regretfully intended) and compete on behalf of my AOII pledge class.

When the big day came around, let's just say I didn't spring out of bed. Even so, I met up with my team at the early hour of 11 a.m. and rushed through some last-minute exercises. Watching the other teams compete, and waiting "on deck" reminded me of a swim meet; I was getting nervous. I heard AOII announced over the speaker and followed my team as we marched single file onto the field, stuff (for lack of a less appropriate descriptor) was about to get real.

My team settled into the pits, and at this point I felt like I was about to throw up. We got into position and the competition was on. Our first match went really well. We locked, cocked and hit like champs. We worked in unison, and there was something really rewarding about pulling that flag inch by inch closer to our side. It was in the adrenaline of that first win that I realized all the earlier anxiety was a waste of time (story of my life.)

Puddle Pull ended up being a really fun experience, and I'm really glad I decided to participate. Competing with my sisters was great bonding and my strained facial expressions not withstanding I'm really proud of our performance. I realize that even if the competition isn't the most girlie, every sorority is in the same position and no one is going to judge you because you can win a game of tug-o-war. Well, we're all still immature college students (at least I am), so maybe they are, but the fun of the actual competition outweighs the risk.

You may not see me pulling in puddles anytime soon, but I do recommend that every sorority girl gives Puddle Pull a chance at least once. If not to participate to cheer on your more courageous sisters. (Ladies keep in mind you also get to see your favorite fraternity men compete, definite plus.) I have tremendous respect for all the Greeks that participated and want to offer congratulations to the ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta and the gentlemen of Delta Tau Delta on winning Puddle Pull Spring 2012. Finally, congratulations to the gentlemen of Delta Upsilon for another successful Puddle Pull.

Mariah is a freshman studying marketing and writing rhetoric. You may contact her at mariah.kline@gmail.com.