It’s no secret that traditions are taken very seriously at MU, and one of the most historic traditions continued Friday at the 90th annual Tap Day in Jesse Auditorium.
Tap Day is a ceremony occurring every spring that identifies new members of the six recognized secret honor societies on campus. The tradition dates back to 1927, when the first Tap Day was conducted on Francis Quadrangle by the columns.
To be “tapped” is considered a great honor. Students and faculty can both be tapped into these societies for various different reasons including selflessness, community service and leadership skills.
There are six recognized secret societies at MU: QEBH, Mystical Seven, LSV, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa and the Rollins Society. Only initiated members know what their societies’ letters mean and what the true inner workings of each society are.
Each society leads their selected individuals, or “taps,” on stage to be revealed. Taps wear long robes and hoods masking their faces, which are taken off by previously inducted members once they are announced to be in the society.
Junior Brandon Splitter, who was tapped into the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, was aware of the high honor that came with Tap Day.
“I knew about [Tap Day] since I came to Mizzou for Summer Welcome, and I realized that it is an amazing opportunity and is one of the things that really sets Mizzou apart from other schools,” Splitter said. “It was just an incredible experience.”
Each honor society is different. The LSV secret honor society selects its members one year prior to Tap Day, and members carry out service throughout the year in secret. LSV recognizes men and women who “continually strive to promote and improve the status of women on campus.”
Olivia Webster, a junior psychology student who was tapped into LSV, is a member of the Delta Xi Nu multicultural sorority and works with women on campus to make sure that their voices are being properly heard.
“It was an exciting feeling,” Webster said. “I wanted to cry. Everybody else was crying, but I was just too nervous to.”
Here is list of students inducted into the honor societies:
####QEBH
Nosakhare Eke
Nolan Michael Gromacki
Nissi Kunjummen
Kate Marxkors
Sean Earl
Rachel Tiedemann
Jack Schimpf
####Mystical Seven
Jazmyn Ferguson
Ana Perez
Keisha Avery
Jake Boeding
Frankie Hawkins
James Farley
Jacob Ruboneka
####LSV
Michaela Tucker
Melissa Banuelos
Alecia McLean
Katie Williams
Stephanie Hernandez Rivera
Olivia Webster
####Mortar Board
Cole Young
Mary Grace Kelly
Jennifer Prohov
Courtney Harris
Jessica Stromsdorfer
Kyle Wansing
Maha Hamed
Julie Hale
Kelly Dougherty
Martha Allen
Taylor Cofield
Melissa Roider
Zoe Boomgarden
Taylor M. Harrington
Swee-Yang Ashley Yong
####Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK)
Stephanie Atkinson
Jessica DeMunbrun
Colin Dolan
Michael Dotzel
Tyler Emery
Sarah Gillespie
Alyssa Goldberg
Shruti Gulati
Mary Catherine Heger
Ashley Killough
Austin Killough
Mary Klarsch
Hannah Linsky
Charlotte Paras
Lauren Puckett
Hughes Ransom
Nick Seidel
Brandon Splitter
Madison Stanze
Josh Stockton
Rylee Stoulil
Gabrielle Vest
Taylor Walker
Jenna Wintemberg
Emma Worgul
####Rollins Society
Rachel Bauer
Jacqueline Gamboa Varela
Ashley Price
Patricia Quackenbush
Eric Scott
Simona Simkins
Tipperat Udmuangpia
Nadege Uwase
_Edited by Madi McVan | mmcvan@themaneater.com_
