And the Rush BeginsÖ

Spring rush for fraternities begins Monday.

"Rush is the life-blood of a fraternity," said senior Daniel Dunlap, rush chair of Delta Chi. "It supplies the fraternity with new members to keep the chapter alive. Without new members, the chapter will shrink and die."

Male students visit different chapters to find one they feel fits them best. The students have to spend five minutes at 20 different fraternities.

"It takes a lot of guts for a student to come out and meet the brothers during rush," said senior Jon Jefferies, rush chair of Sigma Chi. "It can be unnecessarily intimidating to meet so many people at once. We give a lot of credit to those guys that come out."

Senior Kevin Smallwood, president of Kappa Alpha, said, the first half of rush week is like an ice breaker, it gives students a chance to meet lots of people. During this time, rushes participate in events such as football, eating food at a fraternity house, or playing video games with the brothers.

"Rushes attending events during the second half of rush week are usually the ones that are truly interested in our fraternity," Smallwood said.

When a student is rushing, it is important that the student keep an open mind and be themselves.

"Potential rushes tend to listen to negative comments on fraternities and turn away from fraternity life," Jefferies said. "It’s unfortunate they don’t know all the opportunities they’re missing out on."

Dunlap said, "There is more to fraternities than the ‘Animal House’ image. If you’re looking to get drunk all the time, don’t join a fraternity."

Rush week runs from Jan. 24 through Febr. 2. Coeducational honor and service fraternities will rush during this period, as well. Social sororities, with the exception of Delta Gamma, abstain from spring rush.