2008 Woodie Awards
Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
Spring rush will remain a campus institution
Some say fall recruitment doesn't let students settle into college before deciding to go Greek
Lara Seligman
At some schools like the University of Southern California and New York University, rush occurs within days of arriving on campus freshman year.
Although students at other universities are excited about getting involved early on, College freshman Rebecca Holtz said she appreciated having a semester to settle into college before going Greek.
Unlike the process at many schools, Penn's sororities and fraternities don't begin formal recruitment until after winter break.
The University formally implemented spring rush in 1995, prior to which it did a fall recruitment.
Many people associated with the Greek community tout the benefits of a spring rush and say it is unlikely the University will return to a formal fall-recruitment system.
Scott Reikofski, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, said he advocates spring recruitment because the commitment to a sorority or fraternity is so large.
For both guys and girls, the extra semester to transition to college life is a huge benefit of spring recruitment.
"By having recruitment in the spring, first-year women are able to have a semester to adapt - both academically and socially - to being away from home and acclimating to Penn," Mia Kumagai, a College junior and vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, wrote in an e-mail.
"It's important for girls to get on campus and learn who they are a little bit before they join a sorority," said Rebecca Feldman, a College junior and president of Delta Delta Delta.
Delaying rush until the spring semester is also beneficial for the existing Greek community. Ashkenazi said that delayed recruitment offers fraternities the opportunity to "sell" themselves to freshmen and to get an idea of the kind of recruits for which they are looking
Kumagai explained that spring recruitment allows freshmen to become involved in other organizations on campus before choosing to go Greek, which strengthens individual chapters and the entire Panhellenic community.
Although students at other universities are excited about getting involved early on, College freshman Rebecca Holtz said she appreciated having a semester to settle into college before going Greek.
Unlike the process at many schools, Penn's sororities and fraternities don't begin formal recruitment until after winter break.
The University formally implemented spring rush in 1995, prior to which it did a fall recruitment.
Many people associated with the Greek community tout the benefits of a spring rush and say it is unlikely the University will return to a formal fall-recruitment system.
Scott Reikofski, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, said he advocates spring recruitment because the commitment to a sorority or fraternity is so large.
For both guys and girls, the extra semester to transition to college life is a huge benefit of spring recruitment.
"By having recruitment in the spring, first-year women are able to have a semester to adapt - both academically and socially - to being away from home and acclimating to Penn," Mia Kumagai, a College junior and vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, wrote in an e-mail.
"It's important for girls to get on campus and learn who they are a little bit before they join a sorority," said Rebecca Feldman, a College junior and president of Delta Delta Delta.
Delaying rush until the spring semester is also beneficial for the existing Greek community. Ashkenazi said that delayed recruitment offers fraternities the opportunity to "sell" themselves to freshmen and to get an idea of the kind of recruits for which they are looking
Kumagai explained that spring recruitment allows freshmen to become involved in other organizations on campus before choosing to go Greek, which strengthens individual chapters and the entire Panhellenic community.
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pennquester
Joanne
posted 2/27/08 @ 1:59 PM EST
Actually, for as long as I can remember, the sororities have had a spring rush (it was in the spring when I rushed in January 1993). The frats used to rush in the fall but I believe that changed in 1995. (Continued…)
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