Beginning next fall, Princeton University students who try to join a fraternity or sorority in their freshman year may risk suspension.
The ban on freshman rush was announced by Princeton President Shirley Tilghman in August following a report from the Working Group on Campus Social and Residential Life.
“Membership … in freshman year narrows students’ social circles,” the report states, adding that peer pressure, excessive alcohol consumption and hazing are also problems.
While some Penn students have expressed concern about a similar ban, “nothing has ever come up in a conversation with upper level administrators, fraternity and sorority life or any national organization leadership,” said Wharton senior Harry Heyer, president of the Interfraternity Council.
Penn’s Greek system, which is free to recruit freshmen each spring semester, has not seen a change in recruitment rules in over 10 years. However, in 1995, the Office of Student Affairs and Fraternity Sorority Life decided to defer freshman recruitment to the spring semester, according to OSA/FSL Director Scott Reikofski.
“The current second semester recruitment model was put in place after a great deal of work by a number of University committees, with the overall feeling that first-year students should have a semester of academic experience and the ability to establish a collegiate grade point average before accepting a fraternity/sorority bid,” Reikofski wrote in an email.
Greek life at Princeton, however, differs from Penn in that fraternities and sororities are not formally recognized and members may not use university facilities.
“I don’t think [joining a fraternity during your freshman year] negatively affects the freshmen social experience — if anything, it improves it,” Heyer said. “We are social organizations by nature … if that was proposed at Penn I think the current members of fraternities would be outraged.”
“You only have four years in college, and first semester is more than enough time to get you an idea of where you want to be,” said College junior Frank Wang, who belongs to a fraternity.
Wharton sophomore Dan Judd, who joined a fraternity his freshman year, also saw no reason to defer recruitment to sophomore year. “I see how it would make things easier for the University,” Judd said. “But I wouldn’t support it at all. It’s so great to be able to get done freshman year, so you have three years to enjoy your frat.”
College freshman Jake Winoski is excited to begin rush this spring. “Starting freshman year, you have more time to be involved,” Winoski said. “I don’t see a point in making people wait a whole year before they can get involved in their community.”
College junior Molly Roy, who joined Sigma Kappa sorority during the fall of her sophomore year, said she regrets her decision to wait.
“I do wish I had rushed spring of my freshman year,” Roy sad. “All the freshmen get to know each other and establish small groups within their sororities. As a freshman, you have friendships established, but you’re still open to meeting more people.”
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