Spring Break
MEN, WOMEN RUSHING DIFFERENCES EXPLAINED
Sororities recruit with stricter rules than fraternities
Mary Petrides
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: News
Freshmen men interested in Greek life can attend recruitment barbecues, spend time with fraternity members and tour the houses. Those interested can rush within their first few weeks as students.
But for women, the rules are different. If a Greek woman and a freshman woman eat together, neither may pay for the other's meal. Freshman women may not enter a Greek house or even walk on sorority property during the fall semester.
While freshman men can rush almost right away, freshman women must wait until their spring semester.
Originally, men and women could rush in the fall. In the 1980 or 90s, the policy was changed to deferred rush - that is, no freshmen rushing in the fall - for both men and women, Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said.
But men's membership began to dwindle.
"The argument was made in 2003 that for reasons of membership and retention, we thought it would be a healthy step," Petersen said.
Sororities were not facing the same problems, so they retained the policy of deferred rush.
"If the whole campus wanted to go back to deferred rush, I'd be open to that, too," Petersen said. "It seems to be working for the guys and deferred rush is working for the girls."
Most of the rules, however, vary because at Hillsdale, men's and women's Greek houses are branches of different national organizations.
"They have different founding principles," said Lindsay Horton, president of Pan Hellenic Council at Hillsdale.
National Pan Hellenic Council formed in 1930 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. According to the council's Web site, the council began with nine Greek-letter organizations that formed when black college students came together in response to racial isolation and social barriers.
The primary purpose of Greek college life under NPHC's auspices is "community awareness and action through educational, economic and cultural service activities," the Web site states.
Fraternities are branches of North-American Interfraternity Conference, founded in 1909 and headquartered in Indianapolis.
But for women, the rules are different. If a Greek woman and a freshman woman eat together, neither may pay for the other's meal. Freshman women may not enter a Greek house or even walk on sorority property during the fall semester.
While freshman men can rush almost right away, freshman women must wait until their spring semester.
Originally, men and women could rush in the fall. In the 1980 or 90s, the policy was changed to deferred rush - that is, no freshmen rushing in the fall - for both men and women, Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said.
But men's membership began to dwindle.
"The argument was made in 2003 that for reasons of membership and retention, we thought it would be a healthy step," Petersen said.
Sororities were not facing the same problems, so they retained the policy of deferred rush.
"If the whole campus wanted to go back to deferred rush, I'd be open to that, too," Petersen said. "It seems to be working for the guys and deferred rush is working for the girls."
Most of the rules, however, vary because at Hillsdale, men's and women's Greek houses are branches of different national organizations.
"They have different founding principles," said Lindsay Horton, president of Pan Hellenic Council at Hillsdale.
National Pan Hellenic Council formed in 1930 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. According to the council's Web site, the council began with nine Greek-letter organizations that formed when black college students came together in response to racial isolation and social barriers.
The primary purpose of Greek college life under NPHC's auspices is "community awareness and action through educational, economic and cultural service activities," the Web site states.
Fraternities are branches of North-American Interfraternity Conference, founded in 1909 and headquartered in Indianapolis.
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Susan Bruch
posted 11/06/09 @ 8:54 AM EST
I am a Greek Alum of Hillsdale and I wanted to point out a correction to this story. The author referenced the National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC)as the governing body for the Hillsdale sororities. (Continued…)
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