To Gibby or not to Gibby?

This archived article was written by: Katrina Wood

There’s something to be said about the tradition of kissing over a rock on the first full moon of the semester. For some, it’s odd, but for others, it seriously… rocks. Ha ha, rock puns.
True Eagle. A long-time tradition many students have participated in, and many others openly mock. Sweet for a handful and a contest for others, it’s one of the biggest events of the USU Eastern experience. It’s something I’ve never participated in and often ridiculed. Kissing over a rock? That’s goofy all on its own. But kissing over a rock that may be painted with something like the Canadian flag? Yes, that sounds incredibly romantic.
You know what sounds even more romantic? Kissing someone you don’t know for a free T-shirt. Or kissing as many people as possible for the sake of beating a record that will be beat next semester, which is fine, because no one even remembered who broke the record last time anyway. Yay!
I’m probably not the first to say it, but gosh dang it, True Eagle is weird. You kiss over a rock and suddenly you’re a “True Eagle.” Because the only way to prove you’re a real member of the USU Eastern student body is by kissing someone you don’t know over a rock.
As I said before, I’ve never participated in True Eagle. I’ve stuck around to watch once, but never gave myself up for the sacrificial smooch. By itself, I’m not one to establish crushes easily, and likewise, I don’t intend to hand out my kisses. Personally, I’ve always believed kisses are special and should be saved for someone you really care about. Reducing kisses to a contest seems odd at best, and nasty at worst.
I mean, do you even know who else that person has kissed that night? How many people they kissed? If tongue was involved in any of those? Which, by the way, if you’re kissing a ton of people, ew. You need to stop. That’s disgusting.
I know what a lot of you are thinking. This is college and I should lighten up. It’s supposed to be fun, and it’s supposed to be crazy, so stop. Well… uh… how about no?
I get it. College is about having fun, making friends and creating memories. But sue me if I don’t want mine to be of kissing 85 different people in the span of one hour—five of which probably have mono, to which I repeat: ew.
To be fair, I don’t think True Eagle is all bad. Though the kissing-as-many-people-as-possible factor isn’t pleasant and grosses most people out, there’s no harm in sharing a kiss with your significant other, especially when it’s for such a fun occasion. Plus, getting a free T-shirt is nice, and who can complain about that?
With that being said, where do you draw the line? Where’s the boundary between fun and gross? As with most answers, it’s found in a wonderful land called common sense.
Use your judgment. Think it through. Don’t do something you’d regret a day later. And for goodness’ sake, don’t kiss so many people that you end up struggling to remember half of them. True Eagle is meant to be fun; not a mono festival. And have fun by all means, but don’t do something that would make your mother shake her head if someone were to ask, “Is that your child?” In simple terms, be smart.
And in the meantime, tell me what color Gibby originally was, because I have no idea.