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Greek rush battles old 'Animal House' stereotypes By
Julie Sulunga
You walk into a house and everyone is either drunk or passed out. If that's what you think about fraternities and sororities, think again. Sigma Chi fraternity has a membership of about 70 members and has been a part of campus life for about 140 years. The house off 700 North houses 30 of the members. This year probably 40 to 50 guys rushed the fraternity, meaning about 40 tried to gain a membership in the fraternity, said recruitment chair J.D. Nielson. "We usually choose guys depending on the guy, how well he gets along with the guys, grades, and how often he comes around the house," Nielson said. There are no longer any antics that rushees have to do. Nobody has to run around in silly outfits in the middle of the day. There are not any hazing practices where any rush members are put through any sort of torture. Hazing practices by Sigma Chi members are completely illegal, according to the National Sigma Chi regulations. The fraterenity could lose its chapter through National Headquarters. Fraternity members say joining a fraternity may be the best experience a person can have. You have long-lasting friendships and a chance to have an abundance of community service. There is also a chance to get scholarships to help you pay for school. In the 1999-00 school year, $1.8 million were given out in scholarships nationally. "The disadvantage to being in a fraternity would be the stereotypes of frat boys being crazy and wild," Nielson said. "We have this Animal House image." Joining a soroity is much of the same process only with women involved. There are no embarrassing practices a rushee must take part in to join. A potential rushee just has to show interest in a house and the house will vote on whether a girl gets into the soroity based on how her grades are and how everybody feels about the girl, said the the vice president over membership education, Lara Lauder. To join you have to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 from high school and 2.5 in college, Lauder said. Kappa Delta, along with the other soroities on campus, can receive only 15 to 20 new girls each year. No house can have more than the other without running the risk of that particular house shutting down. "If we lost one soroity, we wouldn't have the Greek system," Lauder said. The girls in Kappa Delta have the advantage of being right on campus. They also have a involvement in a lot of things going on at Utah State with 24 girls living in the house. "The disadvantages are the stereotypes," Lauder said. "People assume you are a certain way because you are in soroity." There is also a sense of tradition that some of the girls have. TanDee Burbank has two cousins in the soroity and her mom and their moms have been in Kappa Delta. There grandma was in Kappa Delta. There have also been famous people in Sigma Chi and Kappa Delta nationally, including the elderly woman who makes meatballs and takes singing lessons from Adam Sandler in the movie The Wedding Singer. "If people wanted to join an organization, receive opportunities for life, then stop by the house (Sigma Chi) and give us a chance," Nielson said.
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