Men’s recruitment to kick off Friday

Dunn Meadow will be full of new recruits Friday afternoon, and it’s not for IU football or basketball.

This time the recruits are potential fraternity brothers at the Fall Fraternity Recruitment Kick-Off.

Stephen Poremba, the Interfraternity Council vice president of recruitment, said there are two purposes for the event.

The first is to register all men interested in recruitment with the IFC. This is the first year it is required for everyone to register. Poremba said the IFC wants to “keep tabs” on men rushing because some have already started rushing in the summer or at the very beginning of school.

The IFC discourages chapters from giving out bids before Fall Recruitment starts, Poremba said.

“It’s actually against IFC rules,” Poremba said. “Bids are not supposed to be given to freshmen in the first two weeks, but it depends on the chapter and their nationals.”
The other reason is to allow guys to meet with members of each fraternity, as an introduction to the various chapters on IU’s campus.

“It gives potential rushees a smaller view of the greek system,” Poremba said.
At the kick-off, men interested in joining a fraternity can walk around to tables and talk with active members.

“A lot of chapters like to say what’s unique about their house,” said Spencer Fort, a junior and Beta Theta Pi member. “They want to interest someone in their house instead of another one.”

This year, active members will have a lot of talking to do because the IFC said they are expecting between 1,300 and 1,400 recruits, but it depends on the weather.

Poremba said they expected 1,200 men for last year’s kick-off, but rain decreased attendance. Friday’s forecast calls for showers all day.

Last year, the IFC tried to increase awareness of the greek community by holding panels in residence halls.

“There’s no commitment in regards to recruitment,” Poremba said. “It’s an opportunity to see if greek life is right for you.”

Fort said it’s important for men to go to Dunn Meadow because it might cure any preconceived notions about certain chapters, not just because it’s required.

“You might be introduced to one you didn’t know about,” Fort said. “So many people come into IU thinking they know which greek organization they want to join.”

Fort also said potential rushees should approach recruitment with an open mind.

“There will be an organization you haven’t heard of, or one without a house, but they are just as quality as any other house on campus,” Fort said.

Nick Strawn, a sophomore and Sigma Phi Epsilon member, said he attended last year’s kick-off to see what each fraternity had to offer.

“You walk around with predispositions about who you already want to look at,” Strawn said.

But Strawn said men should still check out Dunn Meadow even if they are set on one chapter.

“It gives you an opportunity to check out the whole variety of houses in one place,” Strawn said. “It only happens once a year.”