<br>Greek system kicks off rush this week with enthusiasm

It's that time of year again, when freshmen brave the cold January temperatures to check out Penn's fraternities and sororities in hopes of finding a match. Rush, a two week process in which interested students attend open houses and other events designed to stimulate interest in the Greek system, culminates when the fraternities and sororities issue bids to those selected for individual houses. Rush kicked off last night for fraternities and lasts until January 30. Sorority rush begins tonight, ending on January 28. "We're expecting a very successful rush this year," said College junior and incoming IFC President Mark Zimring. "We're excited for it, it's going to be fun." Director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Scott Reikofski said he advises interested students to make sure the house is right for them before selecting a fraternity or sorority. "You're getting ready to make a lifetime commitment to an organization and you want to make sure that your values are going to match," Reikofski said. He also stressed the importance of asking current members questions at rush events. This year, Panhel put together a new rush marketing campaign designed to attract a "different type of girl," said Kristin Moon, a College junior and Panhel co-vice president of recruitment. The plan focuses on targeting those girls who generally would not join a sorority. "There are always the girls that come into college knowing they want to rush," she explained. "We don't target them because we know they're going to register." According to Moon, there are 479 registered participants in this year's sorority rush, an increase of 20 girls from last year. Moon said she is especially excited because Panhel has seen decreases for the past several years. Since fraternity rush is more informal than sorority rush, the exact number of men registered to rush is not available, Reikofski explained. The rush period kicks off with open house events. Men are encouraged to visit all houses, while women are required to do so. Following the open houses, the organizations hold closed or invite-only events. At these events, the chapters serve nicer food to further attract rushees, Reikofski explained. For females, closed-event attendance is based on both the preferences of the sorority and the preferences of the rushee. Each round, the houses are required to cut a certain number of girls from their lists and the girls have to narrow down the list of houses in which they are interested. Everything is very structured in how the sororities select women they want to come back for the next round, Moon said. "[The houses] don't just pick girls and tell them to get lost," she said. And having seen rush from both the perspective of a freshman rushee and a sorority member, Moon had a few words of wisdom for rushees. "My advice would be to keep an open mind about the houses," she said. "Don't hold stereotypes. Rush is really what you make it. If you go into it thinking you have to be fake, that's what it's going to be. Just be yourself." College freshman Nicole Green is rushing to see if she's interested in any houses, worried she will second guess herself later if she doesn't. "I thought I should exhaust every possibility," she said. "I don't know if I'll pledge or anything, but I thought I should see what my options are." The Greek system at Penn remains strong, Moon and Zimring said, despite a national downward trend in Greek involvement. "We really believe there's a house for you," Zimring said. Both Reikofski and Moon said they remain confident that the recent deactivation of several former Chi Omega sisters following their participation in an Internet video likely will not affect this year's turnout. "I'm fully confident they'll continue to do very well," Reikofski said.

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