Letter: Rush changes highlight positive aspects of frats

The Chronicle has once again mixed up facts and forced its uninformed opinion on the student body. Allow me to make a few corrections regarding men's recruitment since last Thursday's editorial "Rush Alterations?" contained incorrect information.

First, online recruitment sign-ups will not replace the traditional method of going to fraternity sections. The online application will simply complement fraternity open-houses and be used primarily for Interfraternity Council record-keeping. Second, while fraternities will no longer partake in "dorm-storming," it is a complete exaggeration to suggest that disallowing the practice will have a significant impact on "personal interaction between fraternity members and rushees." Dorm-storming may be the preferred method of delivering invitations; however, due to recent emphasis on campus safety, the benefit of hand-delivered invitations is far outweighed by the cost of having upperclassmen roam around freshman dorms where they do not have card access. The editorial also expressed the concern of potential members picking up invitations "like at a middle school sports team tryout." Any student not receiving an invitation to at least one fraternity will be contacted by IFC in advance.

Like most fraternity men, I take offense to comments suggesting that the new recruitment schedule misrepresents fraternities' priorities. While it may surprise members of The Chronicle's editorial board, fraternity men do more than drink alcohol. Moving community service weekend to the forefront of rush and incorporating dry events that allow personal interactions in non-alcoholic settings were done to highlight that there are more to fraternities than drinking. Of course, because few members of the editorial board are in fraternities, they may not be aware that this is the case. How ironic that a group of people with such little personal experience in the fraternity system would take it upon themselves to criticize a process about which they know nothing!

The new recruitment system was designed to highlight many different areas of fraternity life. IFC is trying hard to ensure that everything is done to make the process as easy as possible, both for chapters and potential members. If anyone has any questions about this, he or she can contact the IFC Office at 684-2496.