By Dave Riley
Fraternities have a unique way of making you a man. Successfully, completing the action of initiation gives students the right of passage that ultimately grants them permission to talk to other sorority chicks without getting their asses kicked. We saw the process, and to some degree, felt it in Animal House. Wack. Ouch. We laughed at the boys from Old School with their scare tactics involving cinder blocks and rope. That was too painful to watch.
In the graphic design field, we have our own initiation. It usually happens in our first year of training at a studio. The majority of the designers out there have experienced it. It’s a result of trying to impress the boss with your speed of mocking a brochure or perhaps the lack of dexterity in one’s finger muscles. Whatever the Padawan’s excuse may be, you’ll be certain to find on every designer’s hand the scars from a rogue X-Acto knife. They are worn as a badges of honor and hurt a lot more than anything a fraternity can deliver. I remember my first very well, like we remember the historic hit delivered by Campbell in the 2006 playoffs—or maybe Umberger doesn’t remember:
I haven’t cut myself since; but if I do, it will eternally be my secret for fear of my peers thinking the Riley is losing his game. Not a chance.
Share your initiation stories. Are they as painful?