IFC Begins Standardizing Recruitment

As unified chants emanated from sororities near 113th street last weekend to signify spring rush, the Interfraternity Council is currently debating centralizing the inconsistent recruiting process.

The thirteen fraternities under the Interfraternity Council do not have a centralized recruiting process—each group independently decides its policies. Although the IFC is trying to create a more centralized recruitment method for its fraternities, it is not adopting as formalized a model as that of Panhellenic Council, according to IFC President Matt Heiman, CC ’09.

“When you codify it [recruitment] to the degree that it’s codified with Panhellenic sororities, I think you lose a little bit about what makes the fraternity experience worthwhile because there are significant differences between us,” Phi Gamma Delta President Thomas Meister, CC ’09, said.

The Panhellenic sororities have a formalized recruiting process in which interested students become acquainted with all four groups and submit their choices labeled one through four according to preference. The sororities make a list of their preferences for prospective sisters, and in the end each sister is paired up with a society.

But many of the multicultural Greek groups do not recruit—they accept applications. Donna Desilus, CC ’10, Delta Sigma Theta member, and president of the Multicultural Greek Council, said those who are eligible for her sorority submit an application that may include a community service record and academic transcript. According to Desilus, her sorority is also less of a social organization and more so one focused on public service.

“We are very active and very thriving, and we actually are pillars of community service at Columbia University,” she said.

John Horneff, CC ’10, attended a Beta Theta Pi open house last week where current brothers and prospective members got to know each other while shooting billiards and throwing darts. When asked why he was considering pledging, Horneff replied, “Why wouldn’t you? The only reason why you would not pledge has to do with false reputations.”

Ariel Desch, CC ’10 and a transfer student from Tufts, described how the city outside the gates of Columbia could detract from an intimate college experience. Many see Greek groups as a facilitator in meeting new people and making friends. “I thought it was a good way to meet people when I came here. The first people I met when I came here were through my friend Maureen who was dating one of the guys in my frat,” Desch said.

For some students the connection they feel with their respective Greek society is natural and hard to describe. Horneff said that he is considering Beta as his first choice, saying that the attraction was intuitive. “That’s like asking why you’re friends with somebody you’re friends with,” he said. “It’s just you are. You match, you fit.”

david.xia@columbiaspectator.com