The start of a new semester brings new opportunities for getting involved on campus, and the Interfraternity Council is busy preparing to welcome new potential members to their chapters.
The IFC is the governing body for the fraternity system and one of the University’s four greek councils along with the Panhellenic Association, the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
IFC recruitment for the fall semester will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 in Alumni Hall with a pre-recruitment greek orientation seminar.
IFC Vice President Max Lundin said in an email that most of the preparation IFC does for recruitment requires getting the University, IFC executives, chapter presidents and recruitment chairs on the same page about the rush process.
“To make that happen this year, I spent a lot of time thinking about how we could best educate rushing men about the entire greek community and how they could get the most comprehensive overview of greek life,” Lundin said in the email.
Recruitment this semester consists of a series of events through the month of September. Rushing men will have the chance to explore their options through chapter exhibitions, open house tours and rush tabling.
Lundin said in the email that typically many men who participate in recruitment only show up at one or two recruitment events.
“This semester, our hope is that the majority of men that rush fraternities do so through the IFC facilitated process,” Lundin said.
Though chapters may have specific qualities they look for in potential new members, Lundin said all chapters are united in looking for men who are easy to get along with and will enhance their chapter.
“Academics, athletics, social skills and personality are all important factors, although every chapter is different in its own way,” Lundin said.
Lundin said the new policy put in place by Student Life and Learning that allows the IU police department and other safety organizations to search greek houses after giving 24 hours notice will not affect on recruitment this semester.
Phi Kappa Sigma President Cory Bodnar said the new policy will most likely only affect the decisions of rushing men if they are not fully informed of the details of the policy.
Bodnar said recruitment preparation for Phi Kappa Sigma consists of a recruitment planning session where members discuss what kind of men they are looking for, and the chapter emails potential new members who have been recommended to their chapter specifically.
“What we’re looking for is somebody that’s going to have leadership qualities, somebody that’s involved on campus beyond greek life, and somebody that’s doing good in school,” Bodnar said.
When asked for advice for rushing men, Bodnar said it is important for them to keep their options open.
“If you have friends in one chapter don’t restrict yourself to that chapter or leave recruitment early,” Bodnar said. “Just make sure you try to get to know as many men as possible.”
