Spring rush begins for Penn's fraternities, sororities

Only one day into the semester, hundreds of students are already scouring the campus to get a taste of Greek life. The InterFraternity Council's two-week rush period, during which male students sample the IFC's 32 fraternities, officially began yesterday. Fraternity houses are holding open houses and other events throughout the week. And tomorrow marks the beginning of the rush period for the Panhellenic Council, during which freshmen and some sophomore women get acquainted with Panhel's eight sororities. Panhel rushees will receive their bids on January 24, while the IFC will inform its rushees on January 26. Students who are issued bids then decide whether or not to pledge the respective sorority or fraternity. This year, 474 women have signed up for rush, down from last year's 524. Outgoing Panhel Vice President of Rush Julie Galluzzo, a College senior, attributed the drop in numbers to "bad press" surrounding Greek life across the country. In an effort to remedy that situation, Panhel officers sent home letters to the parents of freshman females stressing that Penn's Greek organization is service-oriented and does not place a focus on alcohol. Panhel will allow women to register until 5 p.m. tomorrow, so the current figure may still rise. Panhel rushees are divided into small groups and led by "rho chis," or rush counselors, to all eight sorority houses in two rounds this week. The women must then narrow their choices for the last two rounds, which take place next week and end January 23. After each round, the women are considered by the sororities, which eventually decide to whom they will offer bids. IFC rush, which is less formal than Panhel's, consists of open house sessions throughout the week. IFC rushees independently choose which houses to visit. But next week, fraternities will hold invitation-only events as they begin to narrow down their list of potential pledges. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said he wants students to view the Greek system as a whole, instead of focusing on a single sorority or fraternity house. "It's not desperate that [rushees] get into one specific house," Reikofski noted. With rush taking place during a typically stressful time -- the first two weeks of classes -- students must find a balance between work and play. Outgoing IFC Vice President for Rush Jeffrey Snyder, a Wharton senior, urged rushees to do their work in between classes and in the afternoon before evening fraternity events. "A fraternity, like any other extracurricular activity, should not affect academic performance, so long as [rushees] manage their time properly," Snyder explained. He added that several factors influence the rushees' decision as to which house to pledge, such as whether or not they will be forced to live in the house during sophomore year and whether a house meal plan exists. Galluzzo stressed the overall value of sororities, explaining that they not only promote friendship and community service, but help to make a "big school a little smaller, creating a home base for women to turn to." Penn's other Greek umbrella organization, the Bicultural InterGreek Council -- which represents nine historically African-American and Latino fraternities and sororities -- holds its rush process separately over the course of the semester. But as IFC and Panhel rush begins, freshmen seem most interested in meeting people. College freshman Adriana Pentz said her motive for rushing is to meet other women in her class. Pentz said she is keeping an open mind about pledging, although she is not committed yet to going through with the time-consuming process. "I have a lot of close friends on the swim team, and I am not looking for a close group to live with or belong to," she said.