Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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10 ~Tb YTl 1 JL ^JL i or t ru To rush or i question witl ates. Read c community i entire idea i: Troy ar i# IIIIII IS B . : P:' f ft k r-H V f# lUiai WMm j|C Larry Marsha a fiiendly. jlfr professional ff hair s Located |jpr 541 S The Qameco i ] sn not :o Lsh? "V tot to rush is a serious It many USC undergraduin to see if USC's Greek j s up your alley or if the I s as ancient as Helen of * id a Trojan horse. T | ^ llnittrraiftj nt Bmith (Uarnltna \3 & ^ ^ ^ 5 ifir iri .rrar m ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ iy Stepha Feat HAU HAIR CARE 11 Hair Care combines atmosphere with a attitude for beautiful kin and nails. >\rvJTEE SW/B 56*6419 tck BhUH Tuesday, Jam cJ"effery Dinkins may be expanding his horizions by becoming Greek No, the freshman biology/pre-med major from Manning, S.C., isn't looking For a new heritage, and he isn't moving to Greece. He's simply one of the many males who are considering joining a fraternity during USCs spring rush, which began Monday. "I know a couple of guys in a fraternity, ind they asked me to come out there and dieck it out," Dinkins said. Tm sure (rush s) pretty friendly. It couldn't be all bad )r people wouldn't do it." Dinkins has the idea that junior aroadcasting major John Byrd is trying x) advocate. Byrd, a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and vice president of [JSC's Fraternity Council, is in charge of Spring Rush for 1996 and rushed last spring. Tm dad I rushed in the surine because [ knew during the fall there is so much joing on and with spring ifs more relaxed," Byrd said. Traditionally, many students associate ush with the fall semster. Yet all ratemities, except for those in the National Panhellinic Council (NPHC), offer rush periods twice a school year. According to Mary Beth Holzbach, hrector of Greek Life, the two rush periods )ffer fraternities the opportunity to keep i steady flow of members. In addition, the two rush periods tend ;o mirror the traditional year-round ecruitment period many Greek irganizations were founded on. Holzbach also added that USC Greeks nay soon revert back to traditional ecruitment periods. "I think we're going to see doing away vith rush all together," Holzbach said. I think it's going to be a long time for hat to occur. We're going to continue to iee it change and alter until we get away rom such a formalized process." Now, USC fraternities have a fourlight rush process. For the first two nights if rush, any male is able to come to dcByrde Quad and meet fraternity >rothers. The last two nights, the rushees are nvited back to parties and the choices ire then made. With sororities, rushees are required > attend 10 parties given by the 10 USC jrorites. Then, the rushees attend the i arties of the groups they like the best. hey regret to those they don't attend. | a Kappa Sigma mMg i Fraternity and Delta f Delta Delta Sorority * m i composites curto- j suey of dth* Mary Beth WP" Unhhonh fliran+nr llUliiUUUIIi III! WUIUI J! of Greek Life. Liiie Sc ures Ed nary 16, 1996 All information is placed in computers, totals match and individuals receive invitations back to parties and then to Pref Night, where the girls and their top choice soroities meet for a final party. The next day, bids are offered. Holzbach says that in the future, more Greek groups will have informational meetings and in-depth interviews as a recruitment process, such as what the NPHC, the traditionally African-American Greek organizations, uses. Sorority Council president and Kappa Kappa Gamma member Katherine Claytar has noted changes already in her National Panhellenic Council (NPC) rush rules and regulations. "NPC is trying to cut back fluff at paries and with decorations and get back "Thoro'c cn munh IIWI U %* 0W IIIMUM more that what people see (in fraternities and sororities). People have a tendency to look toward the negative in everything different." - John Kappa Sigma Fraternity to tne traditional one on one, mayne even an interview process at one point. But, that's going to take a lot of time because rush has been around for a long time and everybody's kind of used to it," Claytor said. According to Chaundra DeWitt, second vice-president of NFHC en Sorority Council, and Jermaine Britton, president of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, the recruitment process for NPHC organizations goes as follows: a NPHC group post flyers 24 to 48 hours before an information meeting; the informational meeting is held; interviews are scheduled; and voting occurs. Even though there is a formal NPC lorority rush in the fall, there is also a I igg31 ^ ~ t ^ llmtuuHritg uf ?iiutl >nnenf itor Pf # V ?4 IIIII iw HJlfllllJJJJllJJJJJ, f^Ha |r New clients an Sessions must L HAWAII. <#?.... 612 / .'A*4 TllBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBl NPC sorority rush in the spring. "From what I understand," said Betsy Kenney, a public relations sophomore, "(spring rush) is more of a laid-back atmosphere." Kenney, who is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, will be experiencing her first spring rush this year. Kenney, a recent KAT intiate, feels that spring rush lets rushees meet sisters on a relaxed, oneon-one basis, which seems to be the philosophy most Greeks are looking for at USC. every type of person. Don t go in totally set on what you think you want because it doesn't always turn out how you think you want it to," Kenney said. For more information on rush contact lolzbach at 777-5780. eld rwrnvi i i iIIiT^ri UNSIGHTLY HAIR 1 & HHMMMIiaaMMMr H d daytime appointments only, la be completed within 30 days. H AN*^TAN 1 tshland Park H St. Andrews Rd. H 772-3006 | ***** ********** Despite their differences, most Greeks are after the same thing: a community spirit and family-like atmosphere, fraternity and sorority members say. In recent years, the formalized rush process has diverted from this idea. Stereotypes have risen and the true focus of what Greek life is about has been overshadowed. Claytor believes that USC's Greek community is built on three prongs: community service, social interaction and scholarship. Britton agrees. "I think for the most part, all Greek groups have their differences. When it comes to certain things, I think we tend to pull together our resources as one. Other groups are most defintely outlets for ideas, or they lend out a helping hand," he said. Across the board, USC Greeks have a heavy emphasis on community service. For examnle. DeWitt's sororitv. Delta Sigma Theta, has on-going projects with Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-a-Highway and Harvest Hope Food Bank, among other projects. "Basically, we're public-service oriented That's our main focus," DeWitt said. "There's so much more than what people see (in fraternties and sororities). People have a tendency to look toward the negative in everything different," Byrd said. So, with stereotypes against them, how do USC Greeks promote their organizations? By urging individuals to keep an open mind. "I guaranteee you that you'll find every type of person in every fraternity and every sorority. They have somebody of