Greeks offer social life

By Laura Pelner
Summer Reporter

Getting involved in activities on Purdue's campus is not a difficult task, which is clearly proven by the 5,000 students who are involved in the Greek system.

Andy Robison, assistant dean of students, said that approximately 3,000 men and 2,000 women, or roughly 20 percent of the undergraduate population, are involved in the Greek system's 43 fraternities and 21 sororities. "That's a fairly good percentage for a school as big as Purdue. Our Greek system here is considered the third largest in North America."

Perhaps the Greek system is so popular because it offers students a quick and easy way to make friends. "It's a way to make Purdue a smaller institution. With so many people it can be overwhelming; when you join a fraternity or sorority it's an instant connection," said Robison.

He further explained that being a member of the system could help students with their futures because they have a connection with alumni from their houses who may be able to help students get jobs after graduation. It also can help students build up resumes through getting involved in leadership positions within the house.

Another possible reason to join is because most houses do some sort of community service events throughout the year. For example, a lot of fraternities participate in the Adopt A School program and tutor or run some sort of after-school program. Others do roadside cleanup and big functions with other houses on campus, like Greek Week, which raises money for the United Way.

To join a fraternity or sorority students have to go through a recruitment process, which is usually called rush. Robison said, "Rush basically is the courtship process between the interest of students and individual fraternity or sorority. The interested student is shopping for a house, and the organization is shopping for members."

Males go through an informal rush to join a fraternity, usually during their first semester at school. Most women, though, go through a formal rush process, which occurs before the second semester of a school year. Sixteen of the 21 sororities on campus have formal rush programs.

An informal rush basically involves students showing interest in the organization. There are a few rules for informal rush: houses cannot use alcohol during the recruitment process and men and women should be used appropriately, for example strippers would be inappropriate. Robison explained that if a house does use either of these examples it should be a red flag to a student.

The formal rush process is different. Women have to pay money to register for the program, and they have to come back to school early after Winter Break because the program takes place the first week of January. Women visit all 16 houses dressed in nice clothing, and all the houses use an open house format. Furthermore, sororities have a minimum grade point average requirement of 2.3.

The formal rush process is very structured. After visiting the houses, women have to get invitations to go back. By the end of the entire process students pick three houses they like and each sorority makes a list of those they want to join. The information then gets entered in to a database where a bid matching system takes place.

"Women don't get matched with sororities they didn't put down. They have to like the house, and the house has to like them," Robison said.

He added that with so many different groups on campus anyone can find a match.

This is true for the fraternity system as well. Robison said that there is a basic fit for every different person. "With as big a system as we have there's a house for everyone."

Students do not need to rush and join the Greek system during their first semester or year here. Robison said that a lot of people actually wait until the spring or the next year so they can get accustomed the academics first. Furthermore, in most cases the bids that students receive can be deferred until a later date so the student can still join the same house at a later time.

There are some unglamorous parts of the Greek system that students should be aware of. Robison said there are three main felonies with fraternities and sororities, hazing, alcohol abuse and sexual abuse. "I say they're felonies because these three things are the worst things that can happen in an organization."

Hazing, which Robison said is basically making someone do something they do not want to do to gain the acceptance of an organization or its members, is illegal in the state of Indiana. More specifically, Purdue defines it as an activity that interferes with scholastics, and asks two questions regarding each act: does it create a substantial risk of physical harm and does it substantially demean or degrade any person.

Robison explained, "Hazing is anything that fits in to those categories."

Moreover, students should know that hazing does happen, but that Purdue has a zero tolerance policy. Robison said that when the University sees hazing violations they aggressively investigate.

Unfortunately, he said, a lot of students put up with hazing because they want to get into the organization.

To be certain students are getting involved with the right house for them, they should ask a few questions as they go through rush. Robison said students should ask to see a schedule of the pledge program, the requirements for joining the organization, a calendar of exactly what they're required to do and when the initiation date will be. He added that any pledge program that goes for longer than eight to 10 weeks is too long. "Anyone with more than that tells me they want janitors, someone to clean their house for a whole year."

Alcohol can play a big part in the Greek system, although it is not supposed to. "The whole idea of houses as 'Animal House' is bad, it's over 20 years old."

On Purdue's campus, all sororities are alcohol free, and about 10 fraternities are alcohol free. Robison thinks that a lot of policies will change, though. "I predict that it will change to about 20 fraternities alcohol free in the next few years. They will switch back to brotherhood organizations."