Frat rush begins this weekend

For the next three weeks, hundreds of freshman and sophomore men will enjoy food, folks and fun as they participate in the Interfraternity Council's annual rush process. The festivities begin Sunday, as 25 different fraternity houses hold open rush events. According to IFC Vice President for Rush Ed Skyler, prospective rushees will "go from one house to the next" and find "food everywhere." He added that most Locust Walk houses will serve lunch Sunday, while Walnut Street houses will serve dinner. Each fraternity house has a different theme for Sunday, ranging from Alpha Epsilon Pi's "Boston Chicken BBQ" to Beta Theta Pi's "Seafood Fest" to Delta Upsilon's "Antelope Barbeque." Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Tricia Phaup said yesterday that this year's rush starts later than in past years, and has been cut from five weeks to three weeks to prepare for an impending spring rush next year. "It used to be conducted at the end of September?[this year] they were waiting until after midterms so it wouldn't interfere," she said. "We're looking at a transitional period to see how all this works with the shortened, abbreviated rush." After the open house activities this weekend, each fraternity will be allowed to host six Formal Rush events by November 11. These events are by invitation only for prospective rushees. Unlike in the Panhellenic Council's system, prospectives can be invited back to any number of fraternities during the rush period. "It's very different from Panhel," said Skyler, a College senior and Sigma Phi Epsilon brother. "All the houses select independent of what the other houses are doing." The rush period ends with IFC's official bid-signing day on November 14. If rushees are given more than one bid, they must make a final decision at that time. According to the IFC's official rush policy, it is unacceptable for fraternities to attempt to coerce or manipulate any prospective rush to accept a bid before bid-signing day. In addition, the policy explicitly states that "no alcohol may be served or consumed" at any Formal Rush event. Skyler said any violations of the policy will be reported to the newly-created IFC Rush Judicial Board, which will decide if sanctions are necessary. All men interested in rushing must sign up at any of the houses on Sunday.

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