Autumn Quarter is in full swing, and so is recruitment for the local sororities and fraternities. Signs hang from the houses around campus with bold letters saying ‘RUSH.’ Sorority girls are loud and proud outside their chapter houses, singing and clapping through chants and encouraging girls on campus to get ready for recruitment.While the fraternity guys are playing frisbee on the green outside their houses to attract male students to rush. When thinking about and seeing the prevalence of Greek Life on campus, the question lingers: to rush or not to rush?
When incoming freshman think about college, a common idea that comes up is getting involved in Greek Life. The friendships they’ll make and the fun they’ll have while on campus are both commonly appearing factors. An important thing to note, too, is the versatility that these fraternities and sororities have; they get to have fun and throw parties, but also donate to organizations that all chapters of their specific sororities and fraternities serve for. This makes for a more meaningful expected experience when thinking about joining Greek Life.
On the other hand, DU makes it very accessible for students to get involved and meet new people in other ways. The incredible diversity of clubs and service groups on campus ranges from DU Grilling Club to The University Programming Board to various athletic clubs and of course, Alpine Club. Another factor to keep in mind is that if you don’t like any of the clubs around campus, you can start your own.
Peter Frenette, a recent transfer student from Lake Placid, New York, supports the idea of becoming involved in Greek Life.
“Rushing is going to be a great way to meet people, since it’s difficult to find friends my age, being a transfer student,” said Frenette. This may be applicable for the other 200 transfer students and the 1,600 freshmen new to campus. Greek Life creates a smaller community that brings deeper connections and leads to more involvement.
No matter which path students take this fall, they will hopefully choose the one that is correct and fitting. Greek Life is not for everyone, and some of the students will create their own community without the help of a sorority or fraternity. If you rush, you’ll find your niche; if you don’t rush, there will be a niche for you as well.
In the end, joining Greek Life is a matter of personal preference. It may be the one thing a student desires to make the best of their college experience. Others may feel no need to join Greek Life. The decision is up to you. DU has opportunities to make students feel involved whether they join Greek Life or not. The question still stands; to rush or not to rush?
