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By LYNNE THOMSON
Though they never pre-registered for it
many Carolina students will be getting a
crash course in Creek the first few weeks of
classes as fraternities and sororities begin
their process of selecting new members.
Aptly named rush, this process will tie up
much of the campus in its parties and elabo
rate rules as brothers, sisters and potential
pledges enter the rites of mutual selection.
Fraternity rush rules are laid down by the
Inter-Fraternity Council which is the govern
ing body of the 28 University recognized fra
ternities. The Panhellenic Council performs
the same function for the 15 recognized
sororities.
The two rushes are very different Sorority
rush for women is highly structured with
elaborate rules to protect the rushes while a
man going through fraternity rush will find
himself basically on his own.
"Organized, but much less structured," is
how Steve Hutson advisor to fraternities in
the Student Affairs office, characterized fra
ternity rush.
Though rush has already begun on a small
scale with several houses having informal
parties during the summer, the parties will
begin in earnest when everyone returns to
campus in August
Sorority rush does not involve the all
campus parties that fraternity rush does. The
Panhellenic Council imposes strict rules on
both sisters and rushees in an attempt to en
sure fairness for both houses and rushees,
Panhellenic President Betsy Brady said.
For sisters in most houses, rush began last
spring. The costumed and choreographed
skits were already planned, casted and
- somewhat rehearsed when listers left for
summer. Much of the art work was already
under production and the 5500 budget limit
imposed by the Panhellenic Council was al
ready planned out
Formal rush for women begins August 27
with convocation. Much like fraternity con
vocation, it is designed to introduce women
to sorority life at Carolina and to give them a
Panhellenic perspective on rush. The rushees
meet their rush counselors at convocation. If
early estimates are correct, approximately
1,000 women will go through rush this year.
The purpose of rush is to . become a
pledge. A pledge is someone who has joined
a sorority or fraternity but has not yet been
initiated. The period of pledgeship varies
through the houses and often lasts into the
next semester. During this time the pledge
learns about the house, its formal history
and its informal day-toiay life. A pledge
may quit at any time in this period. A
woman who depledges must wait a year be
fore joining another sorority.
The pledge period brings up one of the
- most controversial facets of fraternity life
hazing. A memorandum from Sharon Mitchell,
assistant director for Student Development,
defines hazing "as any action taken or situa
tion created, whether on or off fraternity
premises, to produce mental or physical dis
comfort emfaarrasment, harrassment or ridi
cule." ,
Tha memorandum goes on to specifically
include paddling in any form, creation of ex
cessive fatigue, physical and psychological
Support tho;.
March of Dirnss
0 ,7
shocks, involuntary road trips, wearing pub
licly any apparel which is conspicuous and
not normally in good taste, engaging in pub
lic stunts and buffoonery, or morally degrad
ing or humiliating games and activities, or
any other activities which are not consistent
with fraternity law or the regulations and
policies of the University as stated in the In
terfraternity Council By-laws.
Hazipg is illegal in North Carolina.
Fraternity and sorority presidents are all
mailed this memorandum each year and are ,
required to read it to their chapters and ex- '
plain it to their pledges. . Irt; addition each
male pledge is required to sign a form saying
that he will not allow himself to be hazed. ;
The IFC has a policy allowing a pledge to
anonymously report hazing.
Acting IFC president Jay White said that
hazing was not wide-spread among the fra
ternities. If, hazing is the controversial Creek issue
growing out of the 1950s, then race is the
issue of the 1920s.
There are 23 University-recognized frater
nities at UNC. Three of these are primarily
service, oriented. They are predominately
black and do not own houses. They are
members of IFC though they conduct their
rush separately from the other fraternities.
Several of the other social fraternities are in
tegrated though they are all predominately
white. :
The sorority system at Carolina is com
pletely segregated. While the three service
oriented, predominately black sororities are
a part of the PanheUenic Council, they con
duct their own rush after Panhellenic rush.
None of these groups own houses. "
Housing is an attractive aspect of fraterni
ty and sorority life for" many members and
rushees. Though not ell members live in the
houses, for those who do it can be an inex
pensive and convenient way of life.
The average monthly dues for a fraternity ,
member for the coming year will be $205 to
$215 per month according to the IFC This
includes rent dues, social fees, utilities and
meals. This is usually below the cost of liv
ing in an apartment, especially if one lives in
a house near campus eliminating transporta
tion costs.
Fees for sorority pledges are higher than
for initiated sisters because of special initia
tion fees. The cost for a pledge in 1980 was
$400 to $920 per semester according to the
Panhellenic Council." This included fees,
dues and 11 meals per week on the average.
Most sororities make board exceptions for
women living in Granville Towers. '
. Fraternities and sororities often find
themselves charged with being overly con
formist stamping out xeroxed copies of
Susie Sorority all just alike. There is one
group on campus which does not hear those
charges. They are the brother and sisters of
Delta Psi St Anthony's Hall. The St As
are the only coned member of the IFC. They
conduct their own rush within loose con
fines of IFC regulations. The St. A.'s call
themselves a social and literary fraternity.
Whatever the name, Creek grade point
averages are consistently above those for
non-Greeks, fraternity advisor Hutson said.
Both the men's and women's Creek aver
ages are above the men's and women's all
campus averages, he said.
National studies have also concluded that
members of fraternities and sororities are
more likely to graduate from college than
non-Greeks, Hutson said.
The rumors are that the makers of Na
tional Lampoon's Animal House wanted to
film their movie among the stately houses of
Chapel Hill's fraternity houses but then
Chancellor Ferebee Taylor would not allow
. it Whether this is true or not the fraternity
and sorority system at Chapel Hill is strong,
including approximately one-sixth of the
students as members including both the Stu
dent Body President and the Chancellor
Christopher C. Fordham.
AL
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Ss3 You Soon!
The Orientation Commission
Paili
Don
Paul
Lisa
Ruihl
Donna
Waller
Chip
. Donald
Barbara
. Andre -
Tlmnday, August 6, 1031The Tar Ueel1!B