Wake Forest IFC Rush changing

[LaneSig]

Got this from Wake Forest's "Old Gold and Black" on line paper. Looks like IFC rush will be structured somewhat like Panhellenic.

IFC changes formal rush, bid process
By Jae Haley
News editor

April 27, 2006


In an effort to enhance the rush experience for both rushees and fraternities, the Interfraternity Council has significantly changed the rush process in preparation for the fall 2006 semester. The new measures aim to allow each rushee to find the fraternity best suited to him and each fraternity to increase the number and quality of its members.

The IFC said it felt that the rush process needed to be amended after realizing that the number of bids extended was significantly less than the number of rushees. For the fall 2005 rush, approximately 350 men rushed but only 180 bids were extended. IFC president junior Cory Cavazos attributed the dip in numbers to the fact that some rushees did not find the fraternity they wanted. “Had they gone to other fraternities, they might have realized that they fit in better there than some other frat,” he said.

Furthermore, the smaller fraternities, Cavazos said, do not get an opportunity to extend as many bids as their larger counterparts as they simply do not meet as many rushees. He said the current rush process inherently favors the larger fraternities who have more resources to devote to rush. The new changes try to amend this disparity, as they have the potential to give the smaller fraternities more advantages that they did not have under the old system.

One of the most noticeable changes to rush is the move to online registration and payment online. Online registration will allow rushees to provide fraternities with more detailed information about themselves.

Formal rush period also will be altered to force every rushee to meet every fraternity instead of rushees picking and choosing which fraternities they visit. Furthermore, formal rush will be held in a neutral setting instead of in the fraternity houses.

During rush week itself, weekday rush events cannot run past midnight and past 2 a.m. on the weekend. “There will be no interaction between frats and rushees after rush events,” said IFC rush chair Scott St. Amand. While this is currently a rush rule, Cavazos said the IFC was going to enforce it more strongly than in the past. He said the rule is in place for the best interest of the rushees whose grades may suffer due to devoting too much time to late-night rush events.

The IFC will also be enforcing the dry rush period, because “you can’t base how you’re going to choose your brothers based on how hard they party,” Cavazos said. The IFC hopes that by enforcing dry rush, fraternities will increase the quality of members while simultaneously bringing parties back on campus. Furthermore, the IFC hopes that dry rush will encourage fraternities to advertise themselves using the service aspect rather than the party aspects.

In another effort to exert more control over rush, IFC members will disassociate from their respective fraternity during the rush period in order to monitor fraternity parties. “If there are any violations, we will crack down,” St. Amand said.

Lastly, the bidding process for those who receive multiple bids will be altered so that those individuals have greater opportunity to receive a bid from their fraternity they most want to join. Cross-bids will receive their bids earlier than the other rushees, but they will have to remain in their rooms until the fraternities have given out their bids to all non-cross bids.

The new rush rules will apply beginning in fall 2006 and will be adjusted according to the feedback the IFC receives from the rushees and the fraternities.

[Tom Earp]

WOW, OMG, what a mish mash of things to follow!

As a local, We got 0=None at our first Foraml Rush and went out and found people who We felt would be a good fit. Yes folks, there are people out in the College who may desire something different than the locla norm of existings groups.

It has always been an NIC thing about either you make it or not as compared to NPC who want everything to work out so fine.

Not to dismiss that fact, but it has always been if you cannot survive then you will be gone in Fraternitys compared to Sororitys.

[brobuzzz]

I'v always wondered about this... Doesn't a formal rush effectively decrease the number of people rushing? That is, when I first got to school, I had given no thought to becoming Greek. If there had been a formal-type rush, I most likely would not have pursued joining. I know of at least a few of my brothers now who were in the same situation.

It seems as though with a formal style of rush, you can only really draw on the people who have already decided that they are going to pledge before they get tp school.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by brobuzzz

I've always wondered about this... Doesn't a formal rush effectively decrease the number of people rushing?

Not necessarily. Formal rush allows a rushee to let all the GLOs know that he is interested in rush. In other words, if a campus has summer rush, only those men that are "known" by the chapter might be invited and extended a bid. Formal rush allows those guys that didn't get any summer invites a chance to meet the fraternities and visa versa. Formal also allows the rushees to seek out the chapters and not wait for an informal rush event.

That is, when I first got to school, I had given no thought to becoming Greek. If there had been a formal-type rush, I most likely would not have pursued joining. I know of at least a few of my brothers now who were in the same situation.

There are no rules that say a chapter can only rush (recruit) during formal. Which is why most fraternities should continue to rush after formal.

It seems as though with a formal style of rush, you can only really draw on the people who have already decided that they are going to pledge before they get to school.

This might be true if the pool of pledges was limited to just those who sign up for formal. Chapters should continue to rush after formal.

[brobuzzz]

If you rushed someone informally, wouldn't there be a push to get that kid into the formal rush system? If so, why would you want to give the other fraternities the opportunity to draw him away from you?

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by brobuzzz

If you rushed someone informally, wouldn't there be a push to get that kid into the formal rush system?

Only if the kid had to be part of (i.e. sign up for) formal rush before he can accept his bid. Frankly, it really depends on the particular IFC system and when bids are officially allowed to be extended as well as when bids may officially be accepted. Ideally, a chapter will have a good number (core group) of their pledges locked in prior to fall formal rush. From either guys they met via summer rush events and or guys they already know. These "locked in" guys would not sign up for formal rush since there is no need to do so. But if they "have to", so that they can accept their bid, then they usually only go through the motions until they are allowed to accept their bid.

If so, why would you want to give the other fraternities the opportunity to draw him away from you?

I don't know a chapter that would want this. If a guy doesn't have to sign up for fall formal rush, then it is to the chapter's advantage that he does not do so and only attends that chapter's events.

[RU OX Alum]

i was active during the period where my ifc did the formal rush for the first time ever, and it gets better every time they do it, because it forces people to check out more than one group, so that they have time to deside who to join. I think they have to go to seven out of 12 now, or something like that, the first round. You should have some idea, but just rushing one is stupid.

[brobuzzz]

I only rushed one, brother.
Wouldn't have had it any other way.