DU sent out an email on Sept. 18 detailing new COVID-19 restrictions and a virtual rush for Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL). Rush, which is the primary recruitment method for fraternities and sororities, will now be conducted “largely virtually.”
“I think it’s a good idea [virtual rush],” 3rd year DU student and Theta Chi member, Jaime Harman, said. “It won’t be as fun as in-person rush, but it’s what we need to do. I would have have made the change sooner.”
The decision comes days after Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) leadership put out a joint statement asking the Greek life community to follow DU’s COVID-19 protocols.
“We are doing our part to limit both the spread of the virus and the university’s ability to recognize the FSL community as the cause of any potential future outbreaks amongst students,” The statement, signed on by 11 FSL presidents, reads. “If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions on how FSL leadership can collectively protect our members, please notify the president of the council to which you belong. Ideas will be brought forth to FSL leadership for consideration and discussion.”
To learn more about what rush will look like for specific chapters, visit their Instagram pages. Information can be found on social media for Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, and Multicultural Greek Council.
Additionally, the university reduced the number of attendees of outdoor events from 100 to 50. These restrictions are in response to the nine cases that DU announced via email on Sept. 16. The New York Times estimates that DU has 15 cases. DU remains low-risk under code green at the moment but mentioned they may move to code yellow. Code yellow adds new measures such as: periodic testing, new building access restrictions, increased gathering limits and campus access dependent on strict adherence to campus policy and protocols.
In order to prevent stricter measures, DU stated in the email that the community’s “behaviors and choices over the next few days will determine whether [they] need to make this elevation.” For now, the university remains confident in their preparation and community to stem the tide of the pandemic.
