Alcohol-Free Rush!

by: Mike Miller
8/27/2016

One of the rites of passage of Greek Life at major universities is rush. There has been talk recently among colleges all across America of making rush a “spring” event. For many institutions this idea has failed miserably, despite the fact that it makes perfect sense.

At the University of North Carolina, for all Greek organizations, there will be a higher emphasis on a dry rush, and all fraternities’ rush events, will be monitored by a group of Interfraternity Council executives.

Not only are the events alcohol-free, but they require that everybody maintain sobriety throughout the recruitment process. Now that’s a change from Greek Life as I knew it.

The group will patrol rush events — both on and off campus — a task that could take up to three hours each night.

In November, the Board of Trustees mandated that Greek organizations offer a spring alternative to traditional fall rush in an effort to aid freshmen interested in joining the system. But the change will hardly alter the system’s first admissions process.

For fraternities, the fall and spring rush processes will look identical. But one marked difference for sororities, which start recruiting Sept. 2, will be the addition of an upperclassmen quota. In addition, sororities’ spring recruitment will be markedly different. The high level of activity characteristic of fall rush simply isn’t attainable twice a year, Stephens said.

Stephens said she hopes the reform gives interested students enough time to explore other opportunities on campus. Movements like these are certainly a step in the right direction! Another enhancement would certainly to be to have students take minor in possession classes.