This week students may have noticed signs advertising free pizza on Locust Walk and Walnut Street.
InterFraternity Council fraternities held open houses on Locust Walk and Walnut Street to introduce themselves to the freshmen on campus on Tuesday and yesterday evenings. Today, fraternities on Spruce Street will open their doors to potential rushees.
Wharton junior and Lambda Chi Alpha President Michael Brownfield said fall open rush is a way to "introduce freshmen to various fraternities on campus so they can get a notion of what they are looking for before spring rush."
However, not many freshmen turned out to the events last night, and presidents of the different fraternities had different answers for why this happened.
College sophomore and Sigma Nu President Daniel Zambrano cited the bad weather and short notice of the event as possible reasons why there was not a very large turnout.
Zambrano did not see the open house turnout as an accurate indication of the success of spring rush.
"It's nothing to be concerned about," Zambrano said. "I doubt it will affect rush in spring."
College senior and Tau Epsilon Phi President Chris Rogers had a similar attitude towards the outcome of fall open house.
"I don't think it's an indicator of spring rush," Rogers said.
Rogers noted that fall open house is a good idea because during spring rush, "a lot of houses and events can be kind of overwhelming."
"Freshmen are introduced to [the] Greek system on a more informal and more manageable level," Rogers said.
Wharton senior and IFC President Seth Cohen said he was not worried about the turnout for the open houses. "We are well above expectations for rush registration," Cohen said.
Last week, the IFC held advance rush registration in the Lower Quad, Hill House and 1920 Commons.
This was part of the requirements established last year that rushees must register for spring rush before they pledge a fraternity.
"Our goal is to have everyone pay the $5 prior to spring rush," Wharton junior and IFC Vice President Conor O'Callaghan said. Last year, the IFC had difficulties enforcing the mandatory $5 rush fee.
According to O'Callaghan, students will have to pay the registration fee and fill out the forms. After this, they will receive a rush registration card which will allow them to get into rush events. Students will not be allowed into rush events without the card.
College freshman Matthew Malone, who attended Tuesday night's Phi Kappa Sigma open house, enjoyed eating pizza and meeting the brothers.
"It was a good time... to get a feel for it before real rush starts in the spring," Malone said.
However, not all potential fraternity members attended the open houses -- College freshman Neil Malhotra heard about the open houses, but did not go to them.
"I didn't want to get caught up in anything right now," Malhotra said, adding that although he did not attend the open houses, he is still considering rushing in the future.
"I'm thinking about it, but not this year," he said.
