Chatter and laughs escaped The University Center ballroom Sept. 13 as more than 70 collared- shirt rushees began Interfraternity Council recruitment week.
That evening they began their tour of the nine fraternity houses of Alpha Tau Omega, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Fiji, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
"This is where The U of M steps in and recruits guys," Adam Shelton, a graduate assistant for Greek Affairs, said.
The first evening all of the rushees were split up into nine Rau Alpha-led groups and visited five selected houses for 35 minutes each. They visited the remaining four houses Wednesday before they began narrowing down their choices of fraternities for the last three days.
Eddie White, a sophomore engineering major and a member of Fiji, said his job as a Rau Alpha was to be a guide for one of the nine groups.
"We take everyone who wants to be in a fraternity, and we go around to show all of them," White said. "It's like you're advertising or marketing your fraternity."
In each house White said the activities for recruitment ranged from free food and drinks to video showings of past fraternal events and slide shows of what the given fraternity is about. He also said some houses even gave out speeches.
The main goal, though, was for each fraternity to meet as many of the rushees as possible.
"They'll [the houses] choose for who they want," Shelton said.
Thursday each rushee checked the postings to see which of the nine fraternities invited them back for an extended visitation. The rushees chose, at most, five. Friday morning they checked another posting to see which five houses had invited them back and chose three to revisit that evening.
The selection process for who were welcomed back Thursday, Friday and Saturday varied from fraternity to fraternity, according to some members.
Some were selected while others were simply looking to add more members to their houses, they said.
"Some of them are just trying to get them [rushees] to join," White said.
C.J. Tyus, a sophomore international business major, said his house of Lambda Chi Alpha was very selective of who was to opt for a bid Saturday.
Tyus said his house's selection process was based on how well the rushees associated with each member.
Certain preferences included how each rushee created and developed leadership traits as well as having gentleman qualities, he said.
"It's about being a leader, getting involved on campus and just trying to be a man," Tyus said. "We see if they can benefit from us and create benefits as well."
Shelton said sometimes, though, rushees are not necessarily chosen based on what they did during those particular evenings.
"Some of these guys have been in previous rush events," Shelton said.
Saturday morning the bids were placed in a packet where they were given to each remaining rushee. Each rushee was expected to choose one in a maximum of three bids. However, rushees are also given the option to sit on a bid as well.
Once the rushee chooses a house, the membership process begins. From there the rest will be left up to the fraternity of choice.
"We are expecting to have one our best years," Shelton said.
