If you are interested in Fall 2021 rush please contact our Rush Co-Chairs, Andrew Frydman & Sean Meyers.
Email: frydma83@students.rowan.edu & meyers95@students.rowan.edu
Ten Things to Keep In Mind
- What is the fraternity's overall GPA?
- Do the members of the fraternity and I share similar majors?
- Are the values of the fraternity similar to my own values?
- Does the fraternity have a good working relationship with the University and community?
- Will there be networking/leadership opportunities for me in the future?
- How much does it cost to pledge and how much are dues?
- Does the fraternity haze?
- Does the fraternity have good relationships with other greek organizations on campus?
- How are commuters able to take full advantage of the fraternity life?
- Most important of all how well do you get along with the members of the Fraternity?
So You Want to Rush a Fraternity?
What is Rush?
Rush is a period of time, usually anywhere from 1-2 weeks, where fraternities actively recruit new members. At many schools, it is the only time fraternities are allowed to hold events specifically for the purposes of recruitment, and add new members. Fraternities generally recruit by holding "rush events", where they get to know you, and you get to know them. These events could be anything depending on your school and the fraternity holding the events. Events could be free dinners, pickup football games, sporting events, or informational sessions about the fraternity, to name a few. At the end of rush, each chapter holds a "bid session", where the fraternity's members name men that they met during rush, and vote on whether or not to offer them membership. After a successful vote (anywhere from majority to unanimous vote in the rushee's favor, depending on the chapter), the fraternity will meet with the rush to offer him a "bid", which is a formal invitation to membership. If the rush accepts the bid, he becomes a "pledge" or "new member" of the chapter.
If you're interested in rushing, I would attend rush events by as many fraternities as possible, and see which group of guys you "click: with best. Go to events you find interesting and fun. Get to know the men of each chapter, make sure they're intelligent men of character, endowed out the duds. During the second half, I would make a list of the 1-3 chapters you are most interested in, and exclusively attend their events. This will allow you to really get to know the chapter(s) in depth, and make your final decision easier. Note that just because you rush, doesn't mean you have to join anywhere, so if you want to wait it out a semester to see how classes pan out, or go through rush every semester for the free goodies, that's fine too.
Through the Eyes of a New Member
If you receive a bid you may begin to wonder what is in store for you during your time as a New Member of Phi Kappa Psi. Essentially you undergo an educational period where your Educators teach you the ins and outs of the organization. New members become a team and each are assigned different responsibilities for the duration of their pledging process. Positions such as Pledge Class President or Social Chair are decided. It is greatly stressed that no member is greater than the other, as all positions are equally important to the functioning of the group.
Meetings occur regularly throughout the process. The meetings serve as a set period where you can learn about the history and culture of Phi Kappa Psi. The pledging process can be compared to having an additional class on your schedule. This class is one that you really want to go through. You get to bond with your brothers and work on projects that bring you closer together. Building bonds of trust for your fellow New Members and existing Brothers is imperative to the process.
You meet a great many people through the process. You interview everyone in the organization and interact with the other organizations on campus. You get to know the alumni and learn from them. You meet a great deal of people through community service and other activities.
While there are some written tests and a bit of knocking heads involved, the New Member process of the New Jersey Epsilon Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi is certainly favorable. It becomes a lifelong memory that you cling to during your dormant hours. The fruit of the process is brotherhood undying. Live Ever, Die Never...
By Michael Hedayat