For the first time ever, University buses will run from residence halls to fraternity houses to accommodate students interested in rushing as they attend open houses next Sunday.
- Paul Wong
- Women line up outside the Alpha Chi Omega house yesterday for the first day of fall Sorority Rush. Rushees choose the three houses they would most like to be in by Sept. 23 and find out the following day whether they received a bid.<br><br>BRETT MOUNTAIN/
Dan Fanton, vice-president of recruitment for the Interfraternity Council said a large number of recruits are expected.
“We had 422 new members initiated last year,” he said. “We are looking to expand our numbers this year.”
Sorority Rush officially began yesterday with the first of four sets of mixer parties that make up the rush process. The first set of mixer parties concludes today.
“The girls have a chance to find the houses where they feel they belong,” said Kirsten Wendela, vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Association.
Stefani Peppard, an LSA sophomore, said she wanted to wait to rush until she was able to devote more time.
“I now know better where I will fit in because I knew at least one person in every house I went to,” Peppard said.
Peppard said she visited 11 houses Sunday and will visit four more today.
“There was a lot of new information today. It was really overwhelming,” she said.
Sorority rushees choose the three houses they would most like to be in by Sept. 23. Rushees will be told whether they received a bid the next day.
“At (a fourth) set of parties you visit only three houses and you are automatically placed on that house”s bid list,” Wendela said. But she added that a girl”s place on a bid list is not guaranteed from attending one of the parties.
She said the rules and structure of Sorority Rush are very strict. During formal recruitment, girls in houses are only allowed to talk to the rushees at scheduled house events.
“The girls will not find out until the 25th what houses their bids were from,” Wendela said.
The rush process established by the Interfraternity Council is more casual.
“We want guys to see as many houses as they possibly can. And we want the chapters to find the best guys possible for their houses,” said Fanton.
Fanton said 10 chapters will be hosting open houses next Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. He added that incentive rewards are being offered to rushees if they visit a certain number of houses.
After the open houses conclude there is a week and a half of fraternity events, during which the chapters host individual events that they choose.
“The events are an opportunity for students to look closer at the chapters they like,” Fanton said.
Unlike sororities, fraternity chapters do not have to wait until Rush is done to offer bids to recruits.
“Chapters can be giving bids right now,” Fanton said.
Fanton stressed that Rush is important in building towards the bigger goals of IFC.
“We want to see that chapters get the guys that best match their own chapter goals,” he said.