Rush events for coed fraternities ends this week, as Alpha Theta, Phi Tau and The Tabard are welcoming their new members. The coed Greek organizations' rush process is marked by smaller pledge classes and a more personal feel, according to many members of coed houses.
Alpha Theta, Phi Tau and Tabard extend bids every term with the largest group of new members joining in the fall. As of this week, Tabard has 19 new members, Phi Tau has five and Alpha Theta has 11.
Unlike many of the other Greek organizations on campus, Tabard has no official rush events. Instead, Tabard members keep their house open to any eligible students year-round, which Tabard says makes their rush process more inclusive. Tabard's process is less structured than many other organizations' because anyone who is eligible to join a Greek organization according to College requirements is welcome to join, and there are no deliberations or bids.
Tabard invited interested students to a "Meet the Tabards" event on Wednesday, but students did not have to make a decision at that time.
Anking Rastogi '08, who joined Tabard the fall of his sophomore year, said that Tabard's more informal process means that the house attracts a wide variety of students -- some who have spent a lot of time there and others who have never been there before.
"We want the members to make the house rather than the house to make the members," Rastogi said. "I think that's what attracts people -- the idea of making the house and also its inclusivity."
Alpha Theta and Phi Tau have rush processes similar to those of single-sex Greek organizations. While students can rush Phi Tau at any time, Alpha Theta has a set rush period that ended Saturday night when students sank their bids. Similar to fraternities, at 9 p.m. potential new members could "shake out" to indicate their strong interest.
Alpha Theta and Phi Tau both hold deliberations and unfamiliar pledges are rare. Richard Prutzer '09, the recruitment and rush chair at Alpha Theta, said that it is uncommon to meet a student who wants to join the house for the first time on bid night, a sentiment echoed by Phi Tau rush chair William McCarthy '09.
"For the most part it's people we already know," McCarthy said. "We try to have a good personal relationship with everyone that joins our house before they join."
Phi Tau's rush is less formal than Alpha Theta's, with what McCarthy described as a "rolling process" where students can rush at any point, but must sink their bids by a certain deadline.
Students who rush after the deadline will not pledge until the following term.
New members are encouraged to "sink" their bids creatively, as shown last week at Phi Tau's Milque and Cookies party when a new pledge interpreted "sinking" literally and dropped his bid into the middle of the Phi Tau milque.
Emily Eberle '09, a member of Alpha Theta, said that the smaller rush process is part of what draws many students to coed fraternities. Many of the potential new members are already familiar with the house and have developed relationships with house members.
"The coed environment feels less threatening," Eberle said. "The setting is more relaxed and balanced in terms of gender and power dynamics. Most people who rush Alpha Theta have come to a lot of events ... whereas during Panhell rush you can talk to [only] 50% of their membership during a single party."
Ultimately, Prutzer said, it is the comfort and diversity that coed houses provide that draws students.
"I hung out at frats freshman year and it seemed like I was always trying to assimilate to their culture," Prutzer said. "Here I was more myself and could talk to members openly. I felt more at home."
