KU Fraternities ready to rush
Twenty-one fraternities on campus will participate in formal rush kicking off Friday at McCollum Hall.
Friday, June 20th, 2008
The Interfraternity Council will host formal rush for prospective fraternity members to tour the Greek community at the University this weekend.
The fraternities will play host to high school graduates from all over the country. Beginning Friday afternoon students check in at McCollum Hall where they will sleep and eat until Monday morning.
Tyler Mertel, Lenexa senior and IFC vice president of recruitment, said this year’s event would be conducted the same way as last year’s, but rush participants for this year were up about 15 people.
He said he expected more than 90 students to attend.
Students will be extremely busy during the course of the weekend as they tour campus and visit 21 fraternities at the University. They will visit the fraternities from 7 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Students will break into six groups and the groups will spend 20 minutes with each fraternity. After they finish visiting all 21 fraternities they will select their top eight. Sunday they will be allowed to spend 40 minutes with the eight they chose before narrowing it down to three favorites by Monday.
Monday morning fraternities are allowed one hour to meet with the students before they offer bids.
The importance of formal rush varies from fraternity to fraternity. Some fraternities need to fill spots to maintain operation, while others can discriminate because they already signed enough pledges.
This year Sigma Nu, 1501 Sigma Nu Place, will participate in formal rush after a three-year absence. The fraternity’s corporation board pushed the members to sign at least 27 new members.
Alex Krajicek, Salina sophomore and rush chairman, said he already signed 24 pledges. He said they will only need to find three to five more through formal rush.
“It’s nice that we don’t have to worry about numbers,” Krajicek said. “So we can use this weekend to key in on a couple good guys who will fit in.”
Krajicek said he already contacted two formal rush participants after looking over their profiles that the IFC provided. He said he looked for guys who were involved in extracurricular activities and maintained good grades during high school.
The fraternities only get 20 minutes to present themselves on the first day, so it’s a challenge to learn anything about individual students.
“We get 20 minutes with each group, but it’s actually like we get eight to talk to the guys because we do a 12 minute presentation when they get here,” Krajicek said.
For this reason Sigma Nu encouraged current members who aren’t living in Lawrence for the summer to return in order to increase its manpower. Krajicek said he thought up to 15 members would travel back to Lawrence for the weekend.
Formal rush provides students who live far away an opportunity to meet people before coming to the University. Jon Archerd, Tampa, Fla., senior, said he met people at formal rush who he is still friends with, despite not joining the same fraternity.
“I was from so far away that I didn’t know a lot of people,” Archerd said. “Formal rush gave me a chance to meet some people before school started so I felt more comfortable.”
The lack of one-on-one interaction during formal rush is a major reason most fraternity members rush informally throughout the school year. Many of these students live closer to Lawrence than participants of formal rush.
Steve Christiani, Omaha, Neb., freshman, rushed Sigma Nu this year after visiting during orientation. He said he didn’t sign up for formal rush because his brother told him it wasn’t the best way to join a fraternity.
“My brother said don’t do it, plus it seems like speed dating to me anyway,” Christiani said.
- Edited by Christine D'amico
Discussion
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The incoming freshmen will learn from current frat boys how to properly pop collars, slide roofies into girls' drinks, and act like carbon copies of each other. Meanwhile the rest of campus will refuse to buy friends.
76% of the U.S. Representatives are Greek
85% of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been greek
71% of all men listed in "Who's Who in America" are greek.
85% of the Fortune 500 executives are greek
All but two Presidents since 1825 have been fraternity men.
The fact is one of these "frat" boys you talk about will probably end up signing your paycheck someday...
Dang straight to the stats. It's like a Notre Dame football fan defending their team.
Actually the stats don't surprise me because they seem to run in packs so they don't have to fight anyone 1-on-1.
Phoenix is hilarious. The fact that he makes these comments about every story about fraternities.
""""The incoming freshmen will learn from current frat boys how to properly pop collars, slide roofies into girls' drinks, and act like carbon copies of each other. Meanwhile the rest of campus will refuse to buy friends.""""
You don't realize the way that fraternities and sororities actually make an impact. The Greek System here at KU, raises the 2nd largest amount of money for the United Way annually. They also contribute more community service hours to the Lawrence and Kansas City community than any other organization. Add that to your list of why you hate Greeks, they help people.
Also, Excuse me just a second; let me go back to that "buy friends" comment. Unfortunately, you really don't know your stats about cost of fraternity living. The cheapest cost of living in the dorms, along with the meal plan is roughly $5,600, while the cheapest fraternity to live in and get meals is roughly $5,200. I assume that in the next post, you will say something about how yours was cheaper because you got some type of "I’m a loser discount" or that my facts aren't right, but you pay for your college living also, and you have friends where you live I'd hope. If not, you'll end up living in a 1 bed room piece of crap apartment with your two cats. Pikachu and Dumbledore.
Grow up Peter Pan, Count Chocula. This is interesting. Always bring these negative things into it, and you get me started on dogging you for not being in a fraternity or in the Greek System.
I'm sure one day, someone said something mean to you, and they happened to be in a fraternity. Now, you hate fraternities. But what happens when the McCollum dorm rat steals your Piketon cards. Do you also hate all dorm rats? Realize that you can't stereotype everyone. If I was to stereotype you, you'd smell really bad, play lots of video games, have excessive acne, and talk about how you just killed a dragon on Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons.
After looking at all of your posts, you are a very negative person. Sorry that you got made fun of as a kid. Maybe if you weren’t such a Debbie Downer and cared about bringing people down all the time, you wouldn’t have people hating you so much. Good luck in life. Write a blog about why you hate fraternities and how they didn’t accept you, include one of these, “hell I didn’t wanna be one of them anyways” and call it good.
Interesting about the Supreme Court justices, if that is really true.
Phoenix, if you have such a problem with the Greek community, don't read the stories about them.
I don't really have a problem with them. I just think it's funny when they get way too defensive about such irrelevant associations. Someone has to take down the self-important people in the world. I do my part.
I actually have some decent frat friends outside of KU, so it may just be a KU thing. If so, I blame Johnson County.
On a serious note, what is seriously with the too-afraid-to-fight 1-on-1 thing?
Aha! Last word. That means I WIN
phoenix - I know you are used to the whole multi player thing with your games that you play all the time but if you REALLY wanna fight I wouldn't mind amusing myself with the entertainment of kicking your ass...
You still fail to answer the question. Can you dodge a punch as well as you do a question?
As far as the multiplayer games... I don't really know what you're talking about unless it's the 50 experience points I got from your mom last night. HEY OH!
what would the question be? why fraternities are in groups? and the answer might have something to do with the fact that we live/ hang out/ party together and there is a reason we are called fraternity brothers maybe that would also answer your question as to why we stick up for each other as well - but maybe you dont have a brother...
great joke by the way dude... i referred you to comedy central they should be calling soon to hire you for standup...
Thanks for the help, but I think writing a book would suit me better.
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