By Charles L. Westmoreland

The chalk scribblings all over U of L’s sidewalks could only mean one thing: spring rush is here. Fraternities will once again be on the prowl for potential new members to join their brotherly organizations.

The semiannual fraternal tradition began yesterday with free pizza offered at the Student Activities Center and will continue through Friday. 

Interfraternity Council President Joey Wilkerson said the council has taken a special interest in this year’s rush.

Thanks to donations by Pizza Magia, the IFC was able to provide interested students with free lunch yesterday and has also been running television ads promoting rush here on campus.

Wilkerson said the IFC’s goal this semester is to break the current spring rush record of 120 signing bids. He said the IFC’s mission is to support and promote all 11 of the campus’ Greek fraternities.

“We’re running the IFC like its own fraternity,” Wilkerson said. “We’re looking out for the good of the Greek system. Our job is to get new students interested in rush, then we let the fraternities go after them.”

Along with promotion, the IFC enforces rush rules and regulations and handles infractions of those rules.

 

Why go Greek?

Wilkerson described Greek life as a four-year journey consisting of three phases.

“The first step is the social phase, where students start meeting people, partying a little and having fun,” he said.

“The second stage is leadership, where members start being proactive on campus – everything from Student Government to the Baptist Student Union.”

The final phase, said Wilkerson, is graduation and settling into a career.

“The last step is … using the connections gained through the fraternity to elevate in the workforce.”

Wilkerson said that being Greek can act as a discriminator when applying for jobs, especially if the person doing the hiring was also member of a fraternity.

Wilkerson said some of the other benefits to Greek life are the campus involvement and the leadership skills gained through active participation in different societies and through charitable work.

 

Myth or misunderstood?

When most students think of Greek fraternities, images from the movie classic “Animal House” come to mind. Wilkerson said that while partying is a part of the overall experience, there is more to fraternity life than just having a good time.

“Sure, we do party a lot, but we still get business taken care of,” he said. “Students can look around campus and see how hard we work.”

Another concern that sometimes discourages students from rushing is hazing. Wilkerson said that hazing will not be an issue that students should worry about.

“We have a zero tolerance [policy] for hazing at U of L and no one should be concerned about it,” he said. “Any pledges that are hazed should contact the IFC.”

 

Eat like a Hellenic King

Although the first day of rush has passed, Wilkerson encourages all male U of L students to check out rush.

“Even if you missed the first day, it isn’t too late to rush,” he said. “If anything, come for the free food.”

Wilkerson admitted that the “big catch” is the free food offered each day at the various events. “Students will be offered everything from sub sandwiches to chicken wings,” he said. “Even if you don’t plan on rushing, come out for the free food. Who knows, you might find something you like.”

Spring rush events will be held indoors at the fraternity houses located on Fourth Street and in some rooms of the SAC. For individual fraternity and rush info, visit the IFC’s Web site at http://www.louisvilleifc.com.