Rushees and sorority members may be less likely to keel over from small-talk overload this year, thanks to a revamped rush schedule that stretches out the process and holds most events on weekends.
The Panhellenic Council's rush period begins Friday evening and ends Jan. 20. Panhell extended last year's schedule by two days, hoping that holding bid acceptance night on a Tuesday would discourage the drinking that has been associated with it in the past.
"Last year it fell on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Day, and that led to more problems because alcohol isn't allowed during the recruitment process," said Panhell Vice President of Recruitment Julia Keane '04.
After last winter's rush, Panhell found Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority to have violated two National Panhellenic Council rush policies that prohibit the "use of alcoholic beverages" and "the participation of men in membership and Bid Day activities." Initial accusations had alleged that Kappa had violated the College's long-standing ban on hazing.
Panhell emphasized its rush policy during rush counselor training so that counselors can better inform their rush groups of what is and isn't acceptable behavior, said Rebecca Aledort '04, Panhell vice president of organization.
Sunday, Jan. 18, is preference night, where potential recruits rank their two top sororities.
Panhell rush works through a combined selection process between the rushees selecting their house and the sororities choosing certain women, according to Deborah Carney, assistant dean of residential life.
Panhell currently has 215 rushees signed up, but a small percentage drop out each year. The total number is smaller than last year's class of 238 accepted recruits, but there are also fewer women in the Class of 2006 than in the Class of 2005.
And for the third year in a row Panhell recruitment has been conducted during Winter term, a policy characterized by controversy. Greek leaders have begun negotiations with administrators to push rush forward to Fall term of students' sophomore year, but a conclusion has still yet to be reached.
"I appreciate the thought that goes with moving it to sophomore year, but I don't think people are any more ready sophomore winter than sophomore fall," Keane said. "I don't see that there's strong argument for keeping them out of Greek organizations for those extra three months."
