On Wednesday, March 6, 1935, the oldest chartered men’s club at Ouachita was formed, Rho Sigma. Rho Sigma was founded by two Ouachita football players, William Ross Shuffield and John “Big Shot” Floyd, after they won a state championship title by beating Henderson State in the 1935 season. They desired a brotherhood to carry on the close feeling they had with their teammates, so they decided to form a club to do just that.
The Rho Sigs are often identified as the “red shirts.” This comes from a known football term of being red-shirted due to injury or to lengthen a players’ eligibility. Floyd was injured after their state title game, so he was red shirted, leading to the nickname and the adoption of red and white as the club colors.
The club is known for wearing their red blazers during special events, and the story of how this came to be reflects the great brotherhood Rho Sigma creates. A man by the name of Ed Snyder, a former member of Rho Sigma, sold his car in 1959 and used the money to buy every member of the club at the time a red blazer. Rho Sigma notes that they were the first social club on campus to adopt the blazers, and they continue the tradition to this day.
Another interesting tradition is letter day. While every club now deems Wednesday as their weekly letter day, it is said that the Rho Sigs started this tradition, due to the fact that they were founded on a Wednesday.
The Rho Sigs also take pride in the guarding of the tiger during the Battle of the Ravine week. Every year, social clubs as a whole and students in general take their turn staying up all night to guard the tiger statue from the Henderson Reddies. This is noted as one of the biggest traditions at Ouachita, and the Rho Sigmas get to lead the event. Sunday night, before the week of the game, they set up tents and couches and pledge to have a member present and awake at all hours of the day. This is a tradition that has been carried out for years.
Christopher Hayes, a sophomore finance major from Little Rock and member of Rho Sigma, said, “Rho Sigma has always taken over Battle of the Ravine week. We make guarding the tiger a lot of fun, and we pump everyone up for the big game!”
Halloween is also a great time of tradition for the members of Rho Sigma. Each year they host a themed party to celebrate the holiday.
Rho Sigma is a great brotherhood, and their traditions represent that. This club brings together men from all walks of life, and each member knows they will always have a group of guys looking out for them and promoting their success.
As Sam Ferguson, a sophomore from Benton and member of Rho Sigma, said, “It’s a true, real-deal brotherhood. I know he has my back, and I know I have his back. It’s just nice to know that you have a group of guys who are real, and they are there to have your back.”
With 18 active members, the men of Rho Sigma know they always have someone to look to in time of need. They also stay very connected with their alumni. Whether it be through Facebook or a reunion held at the lake during the summer, current and past members are always looking for chances to connect with each other. Later this April, there will be an alumni crawfish boil, providing yet another chance for current members to connect and network with those who came before them.
Currently, five members hold positions within the club: Tavarus McIntosh holds the postion of president; Nick Hayze is vice president; treasurer is Nate Loftin; Wesley Ramsey is the secretary and Tyler Gahr holds the position of sergeant at arms.
Ramsey, a junior member of Rho Sigma from Benton, describes Rho Sigma using a simple statement that many alumni use as well, “Rho Sigma—It’s a good thing.”
Written by Staff writer, Ashlynn Morton
