Sleeping in, watching TV, perusing Facebook and just overall recovering from a hectic week are all things that most Creighton kids like to do on Saturday mornings. Jumping into icy water is not usually high on that list. But one Saturday every winter it is the number one priority for the gentlemen of Phi Kappa Psi.

This year was no different. Members of the fraternity headed to Lake Cunningham Saturday morning to jump into frigid water to raise money for Nebraska Special Olympics. Fourteen Phi Psis, including one alum, took the plunge into the cold lake.

Every team participating in the Polar Plunge raises money before the event. They set a goal beforehand and try their best to reach the goal. Most of the money that Phi Psi raised came from within the fraternity.

“I ask everyone in their fraternity to give money,” said Arts & Sciences senior Tyler Masters. “A lot of guys in the fraternity will donate somewhere between $10 and $15. Families and staff also gave quite a bit of money this year, too.”

This was the third year that Masters was in charge of organizing the Phi Psi team for the Polar Plunge. This year the members of the fraternity raised over $1,800.

The event started at 11 a.m. and lasted for roughly two and a half hours, but each team stayed in the water very briefly.

“You get in the water and try to touch the mannequin that they have in there and then run back out,” said Masters. “I’ve never seen anyone stay in there longer than 30 seconds.”

Some years it has been as cold as 18 degrees during the plunge. While this year it was a warmer 38 degrees, the water was still extremely cold. It was so cold that there was ice thick enough for people to stand on to watch the event.

There is a great deal of mental preparation involved with the plunge as well.

“I was thinking three things right before I ran into the water,” said Business junior Colin Hodges. “First, I was thinking I’m crazy for doing this. Then I was thinking all the other hundreds of people there were are just as crazy as me. Finally, I thought that at least me being crazy and plunging into a frozen lake is going to a great cause. That water was colder than anything in my life. When you got in, your body just clinched and cramped up and didn’t want to move.”

As hard as it was to mentally prepare to get in the water, getting out of the water was almost harder.

“Upon exiting the water post-plunge, it felt as if the water was just frozen to your body, rendering the towel completely useless,” said Arts and Sciences senior Andrew Scott.

Many of the Phi Psi seniors, including Masters, have participated in the plunge every year of their Creighton career.

“The buildup is the best part of the event, but at some point before you go, you’re like ‘now I just want to do it,’” said Masters. “As soon as you hit the water, you almost regret it, but it’s something that once you do it, you want to keep doing it. I’ve done it all four years at Creighton, and I know a lot of other guys will do the same.”

Many of the other fraternity members expressed similar thoughts.

“Since this was my first time, it was worth every second of pain from the cold water,” said Hodges. “Not only were we supporting the kids that participate in Special Olympics Nebraska, but we got to do this with our fellow brothers and alumni from our fraternity. I would participate in the Nebraska Special Olympics Polar Plunge again and again. It was a great time.”

Although being submerged in frigid water is rather uncomfortable, the members of Phi Kappa Psi did it on order to help others.

“Right before we get in the water, I think about how cold it’s going to be and how far away the heated changing ten is,” said Arts and Sciences senior Josh Roehrick. “Every time I get out of the water I ask myself what makes me keep doing this, but ultimately it’s for a good cause.”

Overall, it was a remarkable experience for the members of Phi Kappa Psi, and the money they raised will greatly benefit Special Olympics Nebraska.

“Knowing where the money goes and seeing what it can actually do is pretty nice,” said Masters.

Photos courtesy Ian Colling.