IFC Open
The entire
process begins during the Interfraternity Council (IFC) open party.
This is where all Fraternities have booths set up to display some
things about them as well as any handouts they might have. There is
usually a speaker who will speak for the entire rush program and a
representative (usually the President or Rush Chaiman) from each
Fraternity will speak for a few minutes. The function usually lasts
only a couple of hours.
Open Week
The week following the IFC Open Party is an Open Week. This simply
means that any person who wishes to go through rush may still sign
up and go to any of the parties during that week. The functions at
each of the three open parties (there are only three fraternities at
Union) depend upon the respective fraternities. Food is served at all
and there is usually some form of presentation or orientation for that
fraternity. This is the time to make sure you meet as many members of
each fraternity as possible. Knowing them, and making sure that they
know you, makes it easier to make your decision about joining.
What is Quota
Different schools do it different ways. At Union, the IFC rule for
determining quota, or how many men each fraternity may pick up in
one academic year, is predetermined before rush begins. Quota depends
upon how many people go through rush, the more rushees, the higher quota
is. It will be determined at the end of Open Week after everyone
has had a chance to register for rush at either the IFC open or one
of the fraternity open parties.
Preference Week
During Open Week, each fraternity meets sometime after their open
party and decides who they wish to invite back to another party during
Preference Week. Each fraternity has another party this week and
you will receive an invitation if you have been chosen to go to any
of the remaining three parties. As you can see it is possible to go
to all three opens and all three pref's. Usually at the preference
parties there is a formal dinner with members and rushees in coat and
tie. After the dinner there is typically another "final" presentation
to help the rushees make their decisions more clear. At this point
the rushees need to make their choices clear to the members of the
fraternity which they wish to join if they know. This is because after
each pref party that fraternity will vote upon who they want to join
the fraternity.
Dead Hours
At the end of the last pref party during Preference Week, dead hours
begin. This is always on a Thursday night (pref and open parties are
always on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights so that Wednesday is
open for church). Dead hours prevent any member of any Fraternity
from talking to ANY person going through rush. This is to prevent
what is termed "dirty rushing". It is designed to keep fraternity
members from attempting to change/sway the minds of rushees unfairly.
Dead hour violations, along with any other rush rule violations, will
be dealt with by IFC. Dead hours continue that Thursday night until
Friday afternoon at 4:30.
Bid Day
On Friday, while dead hours are still effective, all rushees who wish
to join a fraternity must go and sign their Bid Cards before a determined
time. There are three slots on the card where the person can wright
their choices in order from first to third. A rushee may also sign
the same fraternity in all three slots but this prevents him from being
able to be picked up by another fraternity if they chose him. After the
time alloted to sign bid cards is over, they are tabulated to determine
who gets in which fraternity. When dead hours are lifted the rushees
may pick up their cards to find out which fraternity chose them too. If
a rushee was not chosen by any fraternity then they will receive a phone
call to inform them.
Pinning Ceremonies
Soon after rushees become either Associates or pledges they attend
their pinning ceremony where they are officially made members of their
fraternities.
September Rush 1998 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
11 IFC Open |
12 |
|||||
13 |
14 Open Party |
15 Open Party |
16 |
17 LCA Open |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 Pref Party |
22 Pref Party |
23 |
24 LCA Pref |
25 Bid Day |