Terrible rush rules at IU

[hoosier]

In the past, Indiana's fraternity rush rules were regularly written up in the GLO magazines as "the best system anywhere" or something similar.

Now the shrinking fraternity system has adopted the worst known rush rules, and the decline continues.

The worst known rush rules include:

1 - $10 registration fee (for what?)
2 - Recruitment groups were led by recruitment counselors (we'd like to pledge individuals, not groups)
3 - He was accepted (as a recruitment counselor), and attended four meetings in which he learned what to say and what not to say (why not just be yourself and tell the truth)
4 - The benefits of this year's rush are that it is more formal, contained and easier to track progress (for whom? why? who does "contained" or "more formal" help?)
5 - Each fraternity selected 12 representatives (who benefits from this limit?)
6 - Men who missed formal recruitment but still wish to join can register (why is it necessary to register to join? Is there any other group on campus which forces prospective members to register and pay - in order to even be considered for membership?

There's about 10 other stupid rules in this article, all of which hurt the majority of GLOs. If last years stats are correct, 55 percent of the prospects who participated chose not to pledge or were not asked to pledge. My point is made.

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Indiana Fraternities kick off men's fall recruitment

By Alli Stolper

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Published Monday, September 8, 2003
Updated 01:22AM Monday, September 08, 2003

When Freshman Daniel Martinko met with fraternity brothers, he didn't ask about girls, beer or parties. Instead, Martinko said he asked about the quality of the people who lived in the houses.
"I don't want to live in a house like 'Animal House,'" Martinko said.
This year's Men's Recruitment process was not only for potential members searching for a home in the greek community, but also for the fraternities seeking new members to continue their legacies.
Instead of attending presentations at the chapter houses, this year's information sessions in Ballantine Hall allowed potential members answer this question based on the men, not the physical appearances of their houses. Brian Moak, vice president of recruitment for the Interfraternity Council, said last year's excessive informality prompted the IFC to change the recruitment process.
"The benefits of this year's rush are that it is more formal, contained and easier to track progress. It gives us more factual statistics to learn from," Moak said.
The weekend began Friday afternoon at Dunn Meadow with the registration process. Potential members paid $10 for the recruitment experience, an informational "Greek Life" CD, and a free Pizza Express dinner on Saturday evening.
Over 700 men registered for recruitment this year, a decrease from the 900 who registered last year. Of the 900 who registered, only 45 percent signed with a fraternity.
Each potential fraternity member was assigned to a recruitment group of 40-45 fellow students.
Recruitment groups were led by recruitment counselors wearing red baseball T-shirts with "Men's Recruitment" printed across the chest, hailing from each of the 23 chapters. They are disaffiliated from their chapters for the duration of men's recruitment to ensure impartiality.
Junior Matthew Haft said he applied to be a recruitment counselor online through the IFC Web site. He was accepted, and attended four meetings in which he learned what to say and what not to say.
"We're trying to give the guys a non-biased view," Haft said. "We want to improve the quality of guys who pledge."
After talking briefly with their recruitment counselors, the potential members walked around and talked to the men at each of 23 tables. Music blared in the background and men could purchase pizza at a discount.
Each fraternity selected 12 representatives to attend Friday's event. The limited number of representatives from each chapter helped ensure fairness for the smaller chapters.
Saturday afternoon, the potential members attended informational sessions presented by each chapter in classrooms in Ballantine Hall. During each session, the formally-dressed members introduced themselves, listed famous alumni and stated the length of their chapter's pledgeship. Some, but not all, of the chapters made their no-hazing policies clear. At the end of the session, the men mingled and talked one-on-one.
Mike Friedman, president of Phi Kappa Sigma, also known as the Skulls, said their chapter had a retreat to concentrate on traits they look for in potential members.
"We look for honor, respect and hard workers," Friedman said. "We want focused people who are goal-oriented and well balanced. They should fit in and enjoy themselves."
Men who missed formal recruitment but still wish to join can register at the Indiana Memorial Union activities tower, Room 371.