Potential new members are now required to visit every fraternity house
The fraternity rush process began with all nine Interfraternity Council (IFC) organizations meeting potential new members. While the recruitment process happens at the same time every year, this year’s spring rush looks a bit different.
According to sophomore Sam Ades, IFC vice president of recruitment, potential new members — or PNMs — are required to visit every single on-campus house during the first open house day, which was Sunday, Feb. 4.
In years prior, PNMs could choose which fraternities they wanted to visit. While visiting every house may elongate the process, most people said they find this change beneficial.
Freshman class president Michael Swartz said that he is excited to go to all of the houses because it allows him to gain a new perspective on each fraternity.
“You get that opportunity to go to places you maybe wouldn’t have in the first place, so it allows you to have more of an open mind and not cut people off just from things you heard in the past,” Swartz said.
IFC Vice President of Judicial Affairs Zachary Honig said they made this decision to encourage new members to expand their ideas about which fraternity they are looking to join.
“One thing we’re really trying to do this year is change the stigma that most freshmen know where they want to end up before rush even starts,” Honig said. “I think that overall it will help, and help more freshmen get the chance to look at places they might not have heard of or had the chance to go see in the first semester.”
