University of Virginia Library

IFC Initiates 'Big Rush'
With Dorm Visits Wednesday

By ANN BROWN

Rush will begin Wednesday night,
September 22 with visits being made by
groups of three fraternity members to
each dormitory hall or suite. These visits
will take place from 7 to 9 p.m.

Tom King, president of the
Inter-Fraternity Council stated that these
individuals will be "representing the
whole fraternity system" rather than
their individual houses. He added that the
groups will be made up of a house president, a
rush chairman, and one of last Year's pledges
with no two being from the same fraternity.

Mr. King stressed that the activities both this
weekend and next weekend are "completely
open to anyone." He said that invitations will
go out Thursday, September 23 with each
house sending invitations to a large number of
students. But he added that any student not
receiving an invitation from a specific house is
nevertheless very welcome there.

Selectivity

Mr. King emphasized that the invitation
process is "not intended to be selective" but
rather serves as an insurance for the fraternities
that at least some students would attend their
rush functions.

The rush schedule for Homecoming, the
weekend of September 25, includes smokers
from 8 to 12 p.m. on Friday night with beer
being provided by each house and parties with
bands at all houses from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on
Saturday. The same activities are planned for
the weekend of October 2 which is
Commonwealth Day.

Dorm Visits

Mr. King remarked that dorm visits were
being conducted on a hall basis instead of an
individual basis this year in order to get to a
"greater number of people," the object being
to stress "the whole system not just a particular
fraternity."

He added that the IFC is "pushing to have a
really big rush" this year without rivalry
between houses. A number of rules have also
been changed in an effort to make rush "more
realistic." According to Mr. King, fraternity
men are now allowed to go into dorms to visit
students, to give rides to first-yearmen, and to
talk about fraternities at any time. Striking out
past restrictions in these areas is also intended
to make rush "a little less formal."

First Year Appeal

Mr. King stated that the "fraternities have to
appeal to first-yearmen." He added that having
representatives from three different houses in
the groups visiting in the dorms will hopefully
demonstrate to students that fraternities are not
all alike and that each house has its own
personality.

He added that bids will go out on Saturday,
October 30 this fall instead of the traditional
Bid Sunday. He commented that during the
latter part of rush the individual houses will be
free to plan their own functions rather than
having them dictated by IFC.

Mr. King said that IFC would also be
working to coordinate solving any problems
that students might have with rush.