University of Virginia Library

On Rush

Tonight fraternities will begin that annual
fall ritual of self-perpetuation known as rush,
which will culminate some five weeks from
now with perhaps as many as six hundred
members of the first-year class pledging one
of the 33 social fraternities on the Grounds. It
was not so very long ago that any first-year
student who chose not to join a house was
committing social suicide. But in recent years
a growing number of students on the Grounds
have come to believe that fraternities, very
much like churches, have been unable to after
themselves enough to appeal to the new
generation of students.

Undoubtedly many members of this year's
entering class have either already decided, or
very shortly will decide, that their style of
living will clash too much with the demands
of a fraternity. For these students there are
ample social alternatives to fraternity life,
particularly now that sizeable numbers of
women are being admitted to the
undergraduate schools.

A sizeable number of first-year students
will, however, wander up Rugby Road And
Madison Lane this Friday evening looking for
a social unit where they will want to spend
much of their leisure time During the next
four years. It is for these students we write
this editorial.

Last year, it will be remembered, we ran
an editorial on this same subject of rush
which concluded with the words "Don't
Rush. Don't Pledge." At the very least we had
hoped that this editorial would provoke
fraternity members to take a good, hard look
at an institution which has suffered very little
change in recent times. Unfortunately that
editorial provoked more anger than reason,
And rush, as well as the houses themselves,
went on as usual.

We feel that at the present time only a
minority of the fraternities on the Grounds
add enough to student life to justify their
existence. In the past houses were inundated
with bright young first-year men who eagerly
sought membership. Today it is very hard for
even the best-houses to come up with a pledge
class of "clubable" men, to use Dr. Johnson's
phrase. Rushees should know this And act
accordingly, remembering that the houses
need them more than they need the houses.

We hope that rushees will make an effort
to avoid the meaningless friendly chatter
which all too often prevails at rush functions
And instead ask strong questions. We would
like to suggest a few questions rushees can ask
the brotherhood of a house to get a clearer
picture of each particular house. The
Inter-Fraternity Council, much to their credit,
has planned a rush schedule which will allow
rushees to visit houses at times when the
smoker-party facade has abated And a house is
in a more natural state. What follows are some
aspects of fraternities which each rushee
should, in our opinion, know.

Finances it will cost each new pledge
about $1,000 extra to belong to a house,
During a four-year period. A sizeable number
of fraternities are not in the best financial
shape. New pledges will be expected to
shoulder their share of these debts.

Hazing - Although most of your better
houses no longer beat their pledges And make
them go through a "hell night" or "hell
week" you would do well to inquire at the
houses you are interested in whether or not
they still practice these medieval aberrations.
You might also ask if you will be expected to
act very humble as a pledge in the presence of
a brother.

Discrimination - Because of the blackball
system any one brother of group of two or
three can exclude any individual from
membership for a stupid reason, including the
color of one's skin. Ask the members of a
fraternity what kinds of people they like And
why.

Food - A major part of any fraternity is
the food it serves. During rush meals the food
at many houses improves drastically. Ask the
cook or an honest brother if the meals are
always as good.

Academics - Fraternity men in general do
not do as well academically as non-fraternity
men. Find out how well the house you are
interested in does in comparison to other
houses And non-fraternity men academically.

While we have perhaps dwelled upon the
more negative aspects of fraternities, let us
hasten to add that there are some equally
enjoyable aspects of fraternity life. The
concept of small group living is what this
University will have to have more of if the
"sense of community" we have now is to be
maintained.

But we have seen too many first-year
students plod blindly into rush And when bid
Sunday rolls around they are no more
informed about fraternity life than they were
five weeks before. The decision to join a
fraternity is a major one which should not be
taken lightly. If you are unsure at the end of
rush don't pledge. Wait until second semester.
If you don't get in the particular house you
wanted to don't go into a trauma - as so
many first-year men have in the past. There
are many activities on the Grounds more
worthwhile than fraternities.