Interfraternity Council looks to put magazine online

Interfraternity Council members are working to create an online version of The Greek Way, the official guide to the fraternity rush process, to make information more readily available to freshmen.

Since transforming the rush process last year and moving it from the fall semester to the spring semester, IFC has had some difficulty ensuring that freshmen get all of the updated information they need well before the process begins.

"The Greek Way is somewhat of an anachronism," said Trinity junior Tom Sowers, president of IFC. Sowers said the publication is placed under every male freshman's door only about three days before the rush process begins. In addition, much of the information concerning individual fraternities changes toward the beginning of the spring semester when many of the groups hold their officer elections.

Sowers said the online version, which he expects to be completed within the next few weeks, will allow all information to be updated on a regular basis. He added that students will have access to this information throughout the year.

Adding to the timing problems, this semester's edition of The Greek Way did contain several mistakes that IFC officers feel may have caused some confusion. The rules and regulations for rush appearing in the publication, for example, refer to the rush process as it was two years ago, when it took place during the fall semester and involved fraternities housed on East Campus.

Trinity sophomore Jonathan Feifs, IFC vice president for rush and pledging, said that despite the mistakes in the magazine, the rush sign-up period last weekend seem to go well. He added that he and Trinity junior Ted Post, also IFC vice president for rush and pledging, circulated flyers throughout East Campus Friday detailing the rush sign-up schedule, which should have cleared up any confusion. Sowers added that attendance at Monday night dinner rushes for various fraternities appeared normal, giving he and other IFC officials the indication that rushees were not significantly affected by any incorrect information. Official figures regarding this weekend's sign-up periods, however, are not yet available.

Sowers also said that if any interested freshmen and sophomores did miss the sign-ups for rush, they still have an opportunity. "Rush is a process that they can enter or exit at any time," he said.

Feifs said that any of the mistakes appearing in the Greek Way would be corrected as soon as the online version is ready and that IFC officials are considering reprinting the appropriate rush rules and posting them in all freshman dorms. The Greek Way online, when completed, should be available through the IFC home page, which is listed under student organizations on the Duke University home page.