[aopirose]

Good luck to Cousin!!!

I didn't know if anyone else had trouble with the link so here is the article.

It does mention about possible expansion but it is not being pursued at this time. Perhaps after this recruitment they may look at it more closely.


"Rush numbers break participant records

by Melissa Sindelar
DM Campus News Editor
October 01, 2003


Rush breaks records again this year as just under 900 females and approximately 780 males ready themselves for Recruitment 2003.

About 715 female students went out for Rush last year. Only about 20 more males will go through the process this year.

"The girls' enrollment jumped 15 percent, and the guys jumped about 5 percent," Jason Dean, consultant for Greek Life, said. "This makes our system hands down the largest in the nation for public universities."

Dean said growth for Rush usually corresponds with the growth in enrollment. Although the male growth still does, the female increase is far beyond that of the rise in the university's enrollment.

Meredith Padalino, vice president for recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, attributes the increase to "how successful of a Greek system Ole Miss has had."

The Panhellenic council expected only a rise of 30-40 rushees, according to Elizabeth Norberg, judicial and education vice president.

"We had added another group in the Philanthropy round to keep each group smaller, and now the girls have a break period, too," Norberg said.

Dean said long-term plans may include bringing another national sorority to campus to create smaller pledge classes for each sorority because right now they are "busting at the seams." This idea, however, is not being actively pursued yet.

Besides working with a new computer system, the Interfraternity Council has no changes for this year's Rush, according to vice president for recruitment Blake Bee.

Bee attributes the 5 percent increase for male recruitment to the school's growth and the fact that the Alpha Tau Omega will participate in the process this year.

ATO returned to campus last winter after a one-year suspension caused by a racially offensive photograph taken at its Halloween party.

Bee said many contributing factors explain the great rise in female enrollment compared to male.

"I believe there are more girls in the freshman class," he said. "There's always more girls going through recruitment and also fewer spaces for girls. There are only nine sororities, and they have more of a desire to be in those exclusive nine."

These nine will welcome the female rushees Thursday beginning at 4 p.m. for the first day of the Philanthropy round. Rushees will go to three parties, have a break and then go to two more parties before stopping for the night at 9:20. The process repeats for the remaining houses Friday.

Females can only go back to six houses Saturday for the Skit round. If more than six invite someone back, she must cut her list down to the required amount.

A change in the process this year is the regret with interest, where if a rushee must cut one of the sororities because she was invited back to too many but is still interested, the sorority will find out and could invite her back to the final round. It is up to the rushee if she will to that house over another one.

"This gives everyone more options," Padalino said. "It just maximizes their choices. Jason Dean is hoping this will keep us at our 90 percent placement rate or even increase it."

The final night, Pref night, rushees only go to three sorority houses. After they finish making the rounds, they rank the houses in the order of their favorites.

The area between Fulton Chapel and the sorority houses should be cleared for the 6 p.m. rush Monday, Bid Day, when the rushees find out what sorority they will pledge.

The process for males is basically the same, with only a few changes. Despite having 14 fraternity houses, rushees still can only return to six houses in the second round and three in the third. Any house that invites back a rushee Sunday will give that student a bid. The final decision is up to the rushee.

Dean said about 85 percent of rushees receive placement with most of the remaining percentage affected by dropouts, opposed to people not receiving bids."