One look at Jim Kelly, and the average person might not think he is too physically imposing. At about 6 feet and 170 pounds, the senior history major is far from the biggest guy participating in this week’s Tugs competition for Pi Kappa Alpha, but when he goes into one of his many profanity-laced tirades during practice, everyone listens.

Kelly is a caller for the Pikes’ first rope. He is responsible for conditioning, motivating and focusing his 11 tuggers for competition. Each tugger also needs to be familiar with a series of calls and lingo, and it is Kelly’s job to make sure they are in line and up for the task.

But the job isn’t easy, as Kelly and other callers normally spend more than a dozen hours per week in practice, punishing and ticking off guys with whom they are good friends.

“They always hate,” Kelly said after a recent practice. “If they don’t, I’m not doing my job.”

Kelly said the dirty looks and cold stares are temporary, and in the long run, the tuggers benefit. And there is some sympathy involved.

Dan Shepard, a sophomore finance major and first rope caller for Tau Kappa Epsilon, said he tries hard to understand what his tuggers are going through while they are straining themselves on the rope.

“It’s hard,” Shepard said. “I had to actually get on the rope to feel it … I keep that in mind.”

The job of a caller many times goes beyond practice. Tuggers need to work out and often are required to maintain a certain weight. It’s a caller’s duty to make sure they are doing so. Callers also have to balance practice and all the strains that come with it, such as keeping tuggers healthy for five weeks.

For callers like Keith Hall, a graduate student in accounting and a Delta Chi first rope caller, it also involves recruitment.

Getting guys to come out was a little tough, Hall said. In the end, however, he said house members came to represent Delta Chi.

In every house, the role of the caller changes slightly, but most agreed on one thing.

“In all? … Yeah, it’s more than yelling,” Kelly said.