By: Taylor Martin Photo courtesy of: Meghan Lovelace*
Milligan College has an unusual tradition called “creeking,” which occurs when two students from Milligan get engaged to each other.
Each person gets ambushed by other students and gets thrown into the creek.
Pat Magness, retired professor of humanities and English at Milligan College, said her experience as a student being creeked with her husband Lee Magness was unforgettable.
“Lee was walking me up the steps of Hart, and we were both kidnapped, simultaneously, and taken to the creek and thrown in. I kept wondering why Lee didn’t try to rescue me–and then there he was, in the creek, dripping wet,” said Magness. “There was no duct tape or rope involved, just lots of people with a good grip.”
Milligan students’ celebration of engagements goes back to the 1950’s. Back then, students would tie a man up and shave his legs and beard. Then he would be brought to the girls’ dorm, at night, in his underwear where he would be forced to stand outside his fiancée’s dorm window, serenading here with a song. After all that, he would be thrown into the creek.**
Grete Scott, instructor of developmental studies and composition, said she played a role in the Milligan tradition of creeking by being the victim.
“I was creeked the fall after my husband and I were engaged. It actually happened on my birthday,” said Scott. “My friends threw me in the creek and then brought me back, dripping wet, to a candle-lit birthday cake.”
This is a Milligan tradition that still carries on, but has varied since the 1950’s. Now a group of students kidnap their engaged friend, tie them up and put them into a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle honks the horn and the group screams as they drive around campus at night.
They drive to the creek at the bottom of campus and throw their engaged friend into the creek, afterwards making another round through campus.
Meghan Lovelace, sophomore nursing major, said she has creeked friends and has been creeked herself.
“I got thrown in over the rocks and have scars on my knees to this day from it,” said Lovelace.
*Pictures of Meghan Lovelace (from Megan’s Facebook page), most were taken by Sarah Underwood and Taylor Martin.
**(Second paragraph of the older tradition is from the Stampede in 1997 by Starlene Todd.)
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