Rush is initially an informal event, with each of the 34 fraternities setting up a table in Dunn Meadow, said Brian Singer, IFC vice president of communications.
“Rushes,” or students interested in joining a fraternity, will use the event to sign up at different chapters.
The event also allows students to meet some of the brothers of each fraternity.
Within the last few weeks, students interested in rushing attended an information session and a recruitment orientation event in order to better understand the rush process.
“These are all ways for a rush to go to any chapter he wants, which is a luxury we used to not have in the past,” Singer said. “Years back, you almost had to already know somebody.”
There have been many other improvements to the fraternity rush system in recent years. One such improvement is the new IFC website, which was created last year, Joey Shin, IFC vice president of recruitment, said.
“The website really helps, because even when things were organized, there were things that used to fall through the cracks,” Shin said. “So we’re just trying to make things optimal for everyone.”
Another such development is the house tours offered by each chapter. Tours take place on Saturday and Sunday following the initial recruitment event Friday, Singer said.
These tours were implemented last year in an attempt to bring more transparency to the rush process for potential chapter members.
“The whole point is to give everyone the opportunity to meet someone from every house if they desire to go there,” Singer said.
Students will continue to be invited to fraternity rush events for the following two weeks. These can range from a basketball tournament to a trip off campus, Singer said.
“This just gives the chapters the chance to get to know the rushes,” Singer said. “But more importantly, it gives the rushes a good chance to evaluate the chapters.”
The fraternity council members stressed the importance for rushes to carefully consider their options.
“It’s very rare that you get the opportunity to really choose where you want to go,” Singer said. “Applying to colleges is one, rushing a fraternity is another.”
They also acknowledge that not everyone is interested in fraternity life. It’s important for potential members to understand what they are committing to, Singer said.
“If you try it out and you don’t like it, you can always just stop,” Shin said. “But I am a firm believer that IU has a chapter that’s right for everyone.”
Fraternity rush is traditionally a fairly secretive process, which concerns some students, Shin said.
“Be open-minded, try not to listen to any rumors you may hear,” Singer said. “Just like any other organization, there’s some truth and there’s some that’s not as much truth.”
Both men said they believe their involvement in the IFC and fraternity life has been a positive experience. Valuable leadership opportunities are particularly abundant within the organization, Shin said. Even beyond leadership experience, greek life can provide a sense of community for many, Singer said.
“I have my family at home and I have my family here at IU, and that’s my fraternity,” Singer said. “Everyone should be able to have that if they want.”
