By Jack Despeaux
Student Life Editor
A brother of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity enters a McDonalds, and asks to speak to the manager. They sit and discuss business: for the brother, this may be his first such meeting, for the manager, this is becoming a biannual tradition. One week later, the brother returns, followed by another, and another, until they begin leaving with dozens of boxes.
Each of those boxes is a 20 piece chicken nugget meal. Hundreds of nuggets are being transported to Dorchester Hall, the home of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, to be eaten on Jan. 24.
Pat Mariboe, senior, and former president of Kappa Sigma, said that the so-called “Night of a Thousand Nuggets” is a chance to have a fun get-together that helps build the Washington College community.
Mariboe said that the fraternity had the idea for the night years ago, just after their chapter was founded. Alumnus Advisor Dr. Aaron Krochmal, suggested the idea in the late-2000s. Krochmal, according to Mariboe, thought it would be fun to have brothers come together and have a massive nugget meal together. During the spring semester of 2017, Dr. Krochmal decided to suggest it again, re-establishing the tradition. This time, the fraternity decided to make it a campus-wide event.
Since the spring of 2017, each semester the Kappa Sigma Fraternity has held the event, and has invited the entire campus to join them in an evening of nugget-eating.
Mariboe said that, this year, there were over 1,300 nuggets eaten during the feast. To help pay for the event, the fraternity requested a budget of $500 from the Student Government Association, but also paid for excess expenses through their own chapter budget. This budget was used to buy nuggets, soda, and sauces.
Brandon Gross, sophomore and treasurer of the fraternity, said that there were up to 60 visitors at the event.
The Kappa Sigmas did not charge an entry fee, but instead focused on having a good time with students.
When asked about the goal of the event, Mariboe said it is simply a way for people to meet and have a fun time.
“I think the best part was that people didn’t just take nuggets and leave, they actually chatted and conversed with everyone there,” he said.
Gross said the “Night of a Thousand Nuggets” would celebrate the start of each semester.
When asked how the feast could be improved upon the next time it comes around, Mariboe said it could be promoted or advertised more widely.
He said that each “Night of a Thousand Nuggets” has spread by word-of-mouth, but the brothers could hang up posters in Hodson. Mariboe also said that there can always be more nuggets.
“It was nice to see how nuggets could provide a bonding experience within the Washington College community,” he said.