Unlike other colleges, the Claremont Colleges lack a significant social space: Greek life. Instead of fraternities and sororities, in true liberal arts fashion, we have a cappella groups.
At 11 a.m. this past Saturday, Jan. 31, the Mood Swing a cappella group held auditions. Mood Swing a cappella has been a fixture of the Claremont Colleges since 2004 — around campus, they’re known for their yellow outfits, pop ballads and jazz mixes.
From 9th Street Hooligans to The Claremont Shades, there are eight a cappella groups on campus that cover a range of musical styles and genres. Similar to Greek life, these Claremont groups are high-status clubs, with history and prestige attached to each name.
“I’ve never been in Greek life, but from what I hear, rushing is an incredibly stressful process that feels crazy and out of your control,” Mood Swing member Paige Hazen SC ’26 said.
Similarly, on the day of the auditions, Mood Swing a cappella heads were setting up the practice rooms with information forms, sight-reading sheets and whatever extra materials were needed by auditionees during this process. Auditionees anxiously balanced holding their water bottles, snacks and portable phone chargers.
Mood Swing leaders welcomed all potential members with great care; before auditions began, they graciously touched base with students to make sure they were ready and comfortable. Even so, the jitters seemed to take hold of everybody as the intensity continued to rise.
“I remember when I was a freshman, auditioning for all the groups,” Hazen said. “That weekend felt like a fever dream. You’re running from group to group trying to sing the best you can … because the audition process on both ends is never only about the music.”
But these jitters seem to start well before auditions. Some claim that the a cappella audition process operates similarly to the rushing period held by sororities and fraternities. Rushing consists of events planned by sororities and fraternities, ranging from curated activities to brief conversations. In both Greek life and Claremont a cappella groups, choosing the right fit requires a conversation where new members are evaluated based on their abilities and personalities.
“It’s definitely a two-way street when it comes to auditions where people get offers for multiple groups and try to pick which group they get along with the best,” Mood Swing co-president Emmy Anderson SC ’26, said.
After the auditions are over, groups often become extremely tight-knit, almost like their own individual cliques. The passionate rivalry between groups only further cements these lifelong friendships.
Co-president of Mood Swing a cappella, Alexander Assoufid PO ’26, highlights the unique bonds formed that rival those in Greek life. One of the most infamous and memorable bonding activities is an annual drunk rehearsal where seniors come to rehearsal drunk.
“It’s like a secret. We don’t tell anyone beforehand,” Assoifid said. ”We just show up plastered and try to conduct rehearsal as usual and see how long it will take people to figure it out.”
Another tradition involves everybody’s favorite activity: shopping. Each group member goes out and buys an item of yellow clothing for another group member, presenting it with a heartfelt memory.
To state the obvious, however, a cappella life and Greek life aren’t all the same.
“While sororities and fraternities focus more on individuals’ personalities, a cappella groups consider other factors: group fit, sound and individual talent,” Anderson said.
The built-in brotherhood is essential to filling the social void at the Claremont Colleges. There is a strong bond of solidarity and family that feels remarkably similar to that of Greek life.
“A cappella is pretty well-known here, and if you mention you’re in a group, people always want to know which one it is and what it’s like,” Hazen said. “It is something that has brought me a really close sense of community outside of my other friendships at Scripps… your a cappella group will become a big part of your life.”
So, if someone asks a student at the Claremont Colleges, “How in the world are a cappella groups comparable to fraternities? They’re lame!” A sufficient response would be Aubrey Posen’s iconic quote in “Pitch Perfect”: “A-ca-scuse me? Synchronized lady-dancing to a Mariah Carey chart-topper is not lame!”
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