The Hope College Pull

Did You Know?

• Odd Year's colors are maroon and gold, while Even Year's are red, white, and black.
• Each Pull Team is named for the graduating year of that class; for example, the 19 Pull Team consisted of students expected to graduate in 2019.

History

The earliest known reference to a tug-of-war at Hope College appears in the student newspaper "The Anchor" in 1898. The first contest with a recorded winner took place in 1909. No records survive for the years between 1898 and 1909. The Pull was canceled in 1918, 1943, and 1944 due to the First and Second World Wars, and again in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pulling methods have evolved over time; photographs from 1927 show participants in pits similar to modern ones, but pits did not become standard until the 1960s. Strategy changes frequently, particularly the call sets used for synchronized movement. A draw occurred in 1916, and another in 1926 was settled by a basketball game won by the sophomore class of 1929. A third draw happened in 1952. The shortest Pull on record lasted 2 minutes and 40 seconds in 1956. The following year the event was canceled due to a campus-wide flu epidemic. The longest Pull, in 1977, lasted 3 hours and 51 minutes and ended in a draw, the last draw ever called. After that, rules were rewritten to cap the contest at 3 hours; at the three-hour mark the rope is measured to determine the winner. The shortest Pull under the new rule occurred in 2008, when the 11 Pull Team took 71 feet of rope in 67 minutes. New ropes were purchased in 2013 and 2023. In 2014 the 17 Pull Team set the all-time record by taking 90 feet 4 inches of rope from the freshman 18 team.

Rope Run and Pull Day

The competition begins the day before, when Pullers dig the pits they will use. That evening, the teams come together for Rope Run, a high-energy rally where Pullers line up in pit order, alternating between Even and Odd Year pairs. This event often turns aggressive, since opposing teams are forced close together while emotions are already intense. Coaches and alumni have been known to shout and spit as Pullers and Moralers jog around campus, chanting “Even Year, Odd Year.” After Rope Run, each team splits off to perform its own chants and songs. Pull starts at 3:00 PM. Each side fields 20 pairs of Pullers and Moralers. Moralers were originally called “Morale Girls,” but the title was changed to be more inclusive. Several women have served as Pullers, and the first male Moraler joined in 2021. Moralers help Pullers cope with the physical and mental strain, but their main job is to relay call sets so the whole team pulls in unison. Both Even and Odd Year keep their methods for choosing Moralers secret. At the start, the rope is marked at the front of Pit 1 so officials can measure the winner and the margin of victory. Even though there are 20 pairs, only 18 pits exist. Each team designates sprinters and marathoners, and each year has its own strategy for which pits these members occupy. Sprinters pull during the first half hour, a critical and exhausting period, then exit and are replaced by marathoners. Doctors and judges watch both sides; if a Puller has to leave the rope, a sprinter or marathoner can step in. The final Puller is the Anchor, usually the heaviest team member. The Anchor and their Moraler are the only ones who stand for the entire Pull. Pit 17 sits directly in front of the Anchor, and its occupant sometimes takes over Anchor duties while the Anchor adjusts the rope.