Fraternities extended 26 bids at the conclusion of men’s winter recruitment last weekend, according to Interfraternity Council rush chair Brett Kana ’14. The number of new members is comparable to past winter rush processes. Seven fraternities extended 30 bids last year.
Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity saw one man accept a bid; Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity, Sigma Nu fraternity and Zeta Psi fraternity each saw five; and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, seven, Kana said.
Three men accepted bids at Kappa Kappa Kappa this year, members confirmed. While Tri-Kap has historically held winter recruitment, it chose not to do so in 2013.
Harry Gates ’14, the president of Zete, said this year’s numbers are consistent with those of past winters. Last winter, Zete extended seven bids to the nine men that rushed.
Of the men who shook out on Friday at Sig Ep, about half had been off-campus or had chosen not to join a fraternity in the fall, Connor Watumull ’14, the president of Sig Ep, said.
“We were very happy with the turnout,” he said. “Whether we accepted the guys or not, it was a great chance to get to know more guys on campus.”
After an unusually high number of men participated in Chi Gam’s rush this term, the fraternity extended more bids than it has in past winters, president Nicholas Allen ’14 said. In January 2013, Chi Gam gained three new members.
Winter recruitment numbers tend to be significantly lower than those of the fall term. Approximately 350 men accepted bids during fall rush in both 2012 and 2013.
Latrell Williams ’16, who accepted a bid from Sig Nu this weekend, said that although he felt indecisive in the fall, he had a better sense of which fraternity he wanted to join this term.
Williams said the process of rushing aligned with his expectations, which he based on the experiences of friends who completed fall recruitment.
“You had instant access through them to see what the frats are like, and that helps you decide,” he said.
Williams said he chose Sig Nu because he was friends with many of the brothers in the house.
Luis Martinez ’16, who also accepted a Sig Nu bid, said he had not originally planned on rushing this winter. After becoming more involved with the fraternity, he later changed his mind.
The smaller group of men who participate in winter recruitment appealed to him, as opposed to the large crowds that rush during the fall, he said.
“I chose the house that I chose because I felt very comfortable there,” Martinez said. “I felt that they were nice people and shared similar interests.”
