Frats begin first-ever spring rush

Snow caused major delays at airports and wreaked havoc in the Northeast, but the University's Greek rush period has still managed to stay on schedule. The InterFraternity Council's two-week rushing process kicked off yesterday with open events at several houses. At the start of the formal rushing process, rushees attend open events sponsored by fraternities in order to get to know the brothers and learn more about the various chapters. As the process continues, selected rushees are invited back by fraternity houses and may be offered membership bids at the end of the two-week period. In past years IFC rush was held during the fall semester, but it was moved to the spring semester this year under the recommendation of the Committee on Strengthening the Community. The shift in scheduling was praised by many for giving freshmen more time to decide if Greek life was right for them. "We think it's a positive thing, overall," said IFC President-elect Josh Gottheimer. The College junior claimed that spring rush gives prospective Greek members the opportunity to "see how good [Greek life] really is and get to know the brothers better." And the rushing process itself remains unchanged. "The only difference is we've been able to showcase ourselves," said Ed Vincent, Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother and IFC vice president of rush. Fraternities held showcasing events, such as Greek Week, throughout the fall semester that allowed those interested in rushing to visit houses and speak to brothers. "We had a couple of parties," Wharton junior and Beta Theta Pi Rush Chairperson Keoni Fox said. "We tried to make ourselves available. We got to know a few people pretty well." During the showcasing period, Engineering freshman Seamus Woods was able to get a better idea of where he wanted to rush. "I'm pretty much rushing anywhere I can get food, but Beta Theta Pi, specifically," Woods said. This process proved beneficial, according to College freshman Richard Carter Caldwell. "I've been basically getting to know the brothers in the fraternities," Caldwell said. "You actually get a sense of who is where and you get to meet a lot more people and make a better decision for yourself." According to Engineering senior Ed Vincent, the alternative to holding spring rush was holding the process in the fall, and exclude freshmen altogether. "[Spring rush] is a good opportunity to keep it freshman year," Vincent said. "We've made the most of it." But there are drawbacks to the change, Fox explained. "You don't know how things are going to turn out," he said. "It's kind of a hard time to have [rush]."