At just about every College or University you may go to the rushing styles and programs will be somewhat different. The same is true of Union. The program here for Fraternity rush begins about the first or second week in September and lasts a little over two weeks.

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.