Last weekend, five fraternities extended 49 bids during winter rush. The increase from last year’s 21 bids can be attributed to the lifting of Beta Alpha Omega’s suspension. Numbers aside, winter rush was “largely similar” to prior years, according to Interfraternity Council president James Burton ’17.
According to Office of Greek Life director Brian Joyce, Alpha Chi Alpha and Sigma Nu extended three bids each, Kappa Kappa Kappa extended six and Zeta Psi extended four. Beta Alpha Omega, which has been suspended for the past two terms, officially welcomed 33 new members this winter. Beta took a large class this term since they were unable to take a class in the fall, Joyce said. Last winter, Alpha Chi Alpha, Chi Gamma Epsilon and Sigma Phi Epsilon extended three bids each, Tri-Kap extended four, Sigma Nu extended two and Zeta Psi extended six, totaling 21 new members.
Bones Gate, Chi Heorot, Gamma Delta Chi, Phi Delta Alpha, Psi Upsilon and Theta Delta Chi did not hold winter rush this winter, consistent with the previous year. Chi Gamma Epsilon, which held rush last year, did not hold rush this year. Sigma Phi Epsilon participated in winter rush, but did not extend any bids.
Drew Leonard ’19, who recently joined Tri-Kap, said he rushed this winter because he regretted not using the opportunity in the fall to “meet other Dartmouth students and become part of a tight-knit community.” He said that he did not realize that he would regret opting out of the rush process until after fall term, when “the campus changed for him as an unaffiliated sophomore.”
“Some houses didn’t take any new members on in the winter, but some took many,” he said. “It probably depends [on] who is rushing and whether they’re a good fit for the house … it definitely varies.”
A lack of potential new members or less available houses may affect the rush process, but the fit of an individual with a fraternity house is also relevant, Leonard said.
Burton said that winter rush followed the same procedures as fall rush. Leonard described the winter rush process as “very open and easy to navigate.”
Zeta Psi president Kevin Ozoria wrote in an email that rush is more laid back in the winter because it is primarily targeted toward those who could not rush in the fall.
This fall, 316 men joined IFC fraternities.
Representatives of Alpha Chi Alpha, Tri-Kap and Sigma Nu did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Correction Appended (January 27, 2017):
The original version of this article had one sentence stating that there were 20 new members accepted through winter rush last year when there were actually 21. The article has been changed to reflect this correction.
