By KATIE EWER
katie@du2.byu.edu
BYU clubs retain an integral role in the traditions and organization of Y days.
Engineering the events and traditions of Y days takes many helping hands and BYU clubs.
According to Ammon Hord, president of the Gold Y chapter of the Intercollegiate Knights, the Intercollegiate Knights promote traditions and loyalty in the spirit of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
'The purpose of the Intercollegiate Knights is to establish sacrifice and loyalty to each other and the BYU tradition,' Hord said.
Hord emphasized loyalty to BYU tradition and said the Intercollegiate Knights is the organization that has kept most of the BYU traditions alive. The Intercollegiate Knights is responsible for lighting the Y for Y days, as well as ringing the victory bell for home football and basketball victories.
'Being involved like this just adds meaning to the time we spend here at BYU,' Hord said.
Other organizations assist in the activities that take place during Y days. The Programming Team and BYUSA plan and promote service activities and student involvement. Representatives from these organizations could not be reached for comment.
When Y days began, the freshmen would hike to the Y and whitewash it, David Allred, the national expansions officer for the Intercollegiate Knights, said. Now, the Intercollegiate Knights use light bulbs attached to a generator to light the Y.
Members of the Intercollegiate Knights light the Y at 10 a.m. Friday, and the Y stays lit until 11 p.m. Saturday. Members of the Intercollegiate Knights volunteer to guard the Y while the it is lit to provide protection and surveillance.
'We always have to have somebody up there guarding it,' Allred said.
Members of the Intercollegiate Knights also participate in service within the community through Sub for Santa and the Easter Eggstravaganza.
Three chapters of the Intercollegiate Knights currently exist, the Gold Y chapter at BYU, the White Knight chapter at Snow College and the Arrowrock chapter at Albertson College in Idaho.
The members of the Intercollegiate Knights believe the days of knighthood and chivalry are not gone. The club meetings are run in parliamentary fashion and members are dubbed pages, knights, princesses and dukes.
The Intercollegiate Knights is having an open house Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. in 130 TNRB.