Rush Week

Lucky SC · #1 12-26-2007, 08:30 PM

Why is it that most schools do Rush for only one week?

I have friends at Vandy, Duke, and Wake Forest who say they all rush second semester and fraternities basically just pick them up and take them to parties the whole first semester.

At my school you rush for one week the very first week of school, and if you do rush second semester your idea of each fraternity is still limited because most events thrown by fraternties are greek exclusive.

Its just hard for me to imagine how you can "connect" as i keep reading in some topics with a fraternity when you party with not only them but like 2 or 3 others to see which one you like... so basically you go and hang out with the one you choose for really only one night before hopefully getting your bid.

I ask this because i rushed first semester and joined the fraternity that wasn't for me. So can anyone explain this process or advice on how to get a bid from the fraternity that i truely do connect with?

i understand bonds are formed over time, but how from personal experience did you all find this connection from such a limited time frame.

thanks in advance

banditone · #2 12-26-2007, 08:40 PM

Do the chapters there do any Summer Rush at all?? Seems like the Summer months would be the best time to hang out with chapters, to get to know them. Then go through Formal and by then you'd pretty much have it all figured out.

Lucky SC · #3 12-27-2007, 03:54 AM

nah not at all.

see theres fall rush where most people go through like myself except i dropped out, and then a smaller pledge class of people who wanted to wait go through in the spring. so you pretty much have year round pledges except the summer.

and there really is no HANGING OUT with fraternities, like people who are doing spring can't just come over to a frat house and be like "hey i'm thinking about joining" and then get open arms.

i mean i know which fraternities are "better" quote on quote from girls talking about them and which guys are the hottest or have the best parties, which is good in terms of pulling girls. but what really counts is if you get along with the guys, not if they are all their highschools star quarterbacks who make the panties fall down.

basically theres no time to bond, as cheesy as that might sound.

so i'm wondering if anyone else went through the same type of blind rush and how they got the bid with the people they liked.

banditone · #4 12-27-2007, 09:44 AM

So do you not have any fraternity men in your classes? Or on campus? I was all decided on where I was going before classes started, but even so, I met a bunch of different house members in classes and just around campus.

Not the same at SC? I mean, is it against some law to make a friend at a house, and he invites you over for some pool?

33girl · #5 12-27-2007, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky SC

Why is it that most schools do Rush for only one week?

I have friends at Vandy, Duke, and Wake Forest who say they all rush second semester and fraternities basically just pick them up and take them to parties the whole first semester.

At my school you rush for one week the very first week of school, and if you do rush second semester your idea of each fraternity is still limited because most events thrown by fraternties are greek exclusive.

Its just hard for me to imagine how you can "connect" as i keep reading in some topics with a fraternity when you party with not only them but like 2 or 3 others to see which one you like... so basically you go and hang out with the one you choose for really only one night before hopefully getting your bid.

I ask this because i rushed first semester and joined the fraternity that wasn't for me. So can anyone explain this process or advice on how to get a bid from the fraternity that i truely do connect with?

i understand bonds are formed over time, but how from personal experience did you all find this connection from such a limited time frame.

thanks in advance

Vandy, Duke and Wake Forest all have what is called deferred rush - the school doesn't allow them to pledge first semester freshmen.

I agree with you, especially since the guys don't have an organized rush like the girls do where they at least get to meet every fraternity.

MandyPepperidge · #6 12-27-2007, 10:37 AM

What are the circumstances of you de-pledging? Is there any bad blood? Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I've witnessed some situations where a pledge drops a house first semester, re-rushes in the spring only to find out that the initial fraternity has contacted other fraternities to not bid him. Or the second fraternity will contact the previous chapter to "vet" the kid only to receive the same message.

Go to the rush parties and bring your A game. Isn't that how guys get bids?

Lucky SC · #7 12-27-2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MandyPepperidge

What are the circumstances of you de-pledging? Is there any bad blood? Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I've witnessed some situations where a pledge drops a house first semester, re-rushes in the spring only to find out that the initial fraternity has contacted other fraternities to not bid him. Or the second fraternity will contact the previous chapter to "vet" the kid only to receive the same message.

Go to the rush parties and bring your A game. Isn't that how guys get bids?

not to sound cocky, but i don't doubt my ability to get a bid with the guys i like. Its just how do you see through the facade of what rush week is. you get what i'm saying? like how can you possibly know in a week what the guys are like.

And i know plenty of pledges in different frats, but thats such a small fraction of the population of a fraternity, the guys who are already in the fraternity keep to themselves usually.

not to mention all of my classes are level 100 classes where no brothers would be in them.

And i don't think my old fraternity is gonna black ball me. The brothers all say hey to me whenever i see them and are really friendly and start up conversations with me on how i'm doing, my pledge brothers don't like me though for the most part though. the reason why i left is because my pledge brothers didn't share any of the work load, leaving it to me and another small group who of which some quit with me. The brothers were all awesome but i didn't want to go through with those guys, so unless they are being tooth faced the older guys all still like me bc i was the one washing their clothes lol

PhiGam · #8 12-27-2007, 03:50 PM

We don't do summer rush... because thats against the rules. We certainly meet a bunch of freshman and hang out with them over the summer though.

Lucky SC · #9 12-27-2007, 03:51 PM

[quote=banditone;1569438]So do you not have any fraternity men in your classes? Or on campus? I was all decided on where I was going before classes started, but even so, I met a bunch of different house members in classes and just around campus.

Not the same at SC? I mean, is it against some law to make a friend at a house, and he invites you over for some pool?[/quote]

actually i think somewhere unwritten it is lol. the houses are like some kind of enclave where if you're not in a sorority invited the insides are a mystery lol.

atleast i haven't seen any of my buddies being invited over by our pledge friends to the houses. not to mention the fraternities have you doing stuff 24/7 if you're not studying so they really don't have time to shoot pool or sumtin with you over at the house.

Lucky SC · #10 12-27-2007, 04:03 PM

i mean i know not all of you were in the same situation with your rush, but if you had something similar i just want to know how you guys out there made the decision, i'm so cautious because i want a lifelong fraternity, not a party scene for a few years

#11 12-27-2007, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky SC

i'm so cautious because i want a lifelong fraternity, not a party scene for a few years

I don't think I've ever heard/read of any member here in GreekChat describe their fraternity/sorority membership as just "a party scene for a few years."

FSUZeta · #12 12-27-2007, 04:58 PM

you could always wait until fall 2008 and rush as a sophomore. you could get to know more greeks by joining some campus organizations when you get back to school such as dance marathon or some other org. that greeks traditionally join. serve on a committee-show them that you want to be involved on campus and meet them in a non-rush atmosphere.

if you live in a dorm, get to know some pledges who are your dorm neighbors from the fraternities you "think" you might be interested in getting to know better. if you don't live in a dorm, you could still get to know pledges in your classes. ask them how their pledgeship is going and let them know that you are interested to learn more about their fraternity. they just might invite you over to watch march madness or for a game of billiards.

PhiGam · #13 12-28-2007, 12:41 AM

I wouldn't worry about not getting bidded by other fraternities unless you GOT dropped for a reason.
The deciding factor for pledging in my case was that I wanted to be in a fraternity where I could make a difference. I had it narrowed down to Phi Delt and Phi Gam and went with Phi Gam. The guys personalities were very similar but I pledged the smaller house (we pledged 49 and they pledged 72).
Just curious, which fraternity are you considering at USC? I won't be offended if you tell me its not mine because I have friends that go there and say bad things about that chapter.

Lucky SC · #14 12-28-2007, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SECdomination

UF is the same way. Don't stress about meeting guys outside of rush week.
Haven't you ever had a man crush? I can't explain it well, but I'll post this definition from Urban Dictionary.
I have a man crush on my big brother in the fraternity and Urban Meyer. Pledge the house where you develop man crushes.

Man crush is a very strong feeling that one straight man has for another, bordering on the romantic but not the sexual. It's love allright but not the love that makes you want to get into his pants.
Man crush is like the relationship between Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers.

lmao very good advice

Lucky SC · #15 12-28-2007, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

I wouldn't worry about not getting bidded by other fraternities unless you GOT dropped for a reason.
The deciding factor for pledging in my case was that I wanted to be in a fraternity where I could make a difference. I had it narrowed down to Phi Delt and Phi Gam and went with Phi Gam. The guys personalities were very similar but I pledged the smaller house (we pledged 49 and they pledged 72).
Just curious, which fraternity are you considering at USC? I won't be offended if you tell me its not mine because I have friends that go there and say bad things about that chapter.

meaning no disrespect, but i honestly didn't even know Phi Gam was at our school, i have never even heard them mentioned.

I'm thinking either Sigma Chi or SAE though, from the guys i've seen/met they seem the most like me. Southern but not like good ol' boys... my dad's side is all country bumpkins but my mom is from ireland so i'm not a true southern bred kid i guess you could say.

The KA's and Sigma Nu's are pretty good fraternities but i don't know if i would fit, like i said though SAE and Sigma Chi are kinda the southern preppy guys who seem like a good bunch who can have fun.

When it comes down to it... i think me asking these questions just stresses me out more. I think just chillin out and waiting till rush week is really the best call.