New Member Education Week is held every semester after candidates are chosen. The week began on the Sunday after our Retreat. On Sunday, the candidates worked together to paint the Free Expression Tunnel on campus. They were responsible for painting all of the names of each current AZ Brother, and Brothers painted the names of all of the candidates. Afterwards, candidates receive binders with information of all active Brothers and learn that they must answer different questions to receive the 42 signatures they need. On Monday, there was a Southern Supper with food provided by the Brothers, followed by a signature session. Tuesday night consisted of a normal signature session. On Wednesday night, we held a “Pinning Ceremony,” where candidates were asked if they wanted to receive the Pin of Alpha Zeta. After, seniors spoke about AZ memories during a Candlelight Ceremony. Then, everyone sang the AZ Friendship Song together, and each class sang their own personal Candidate Class Song. A chaotic signature session closed the night. On Thursday, we had a normal signature session, followed by “Walk Across The Bricks,” where Brothers and candidates participated in a scavenger hunt to learn about why agriculture is so important to our university’s history.
The week is very time consuming, but it really gives the candidates a chance to get close to each other and the other Brothers. They all work together as a class, and their creativity and talents are acknowledged by the Brotherhood. The main purpose of the week is for the new members to learn about the history of our Fraternity, why agriculture is so important, and to encourage teamwork and leadership within the group.