Letter to the Editor: Moving rush will hurt greek system

As I was reading The DePauw before Winter Term, I ran across an article concerning the recent vote by faculty to support a shift of rush from the academic calendar. In part, I agree with the faculty's position: dedicated participation in one or more of the offered school activities can sometimes lead to the academic life becoming overshadowed by a student's self-imposed social activities. This can definitely become a problem for any student. However, moving rush out of the academic calendar, or even to a different time during the school year, can only hurt the integrity of the greek system.

With the implementation of depauw.year1 in 1999, the University took positive steps to improving the freshman experience by relocating rush to the beginning of the second semester. This has allowed freshmen to become accustomed to group living, develop a sense of responsibility, socially and academically, and it has allowed them to become integrated into their new DePauw environment.

Postponing rush has also allowed freshmen to become familiar with the greek system, giving them time to make informed decisions about the greek system as a whole and toward individual fraternities or sororities.

On the same token, delaying rush has allowed greek establishments to make educated decisions about possible new members, presenting houses an opportunity to shape new pledge classes with members that will live up to the ideals of a given fraternity or sorority.

I believe rush at the beginning of the second semester has been nothing but positive for the development of individual greek houses and inter-greek relations as a whole. As for me, I honestly cannot think of another time to hold rush on campus that would be more accommodating to both greek students and freshmen short of giving up Winter Term or a student's summer.

College, in its very essence, is about developing an academic and social education, and working to balance the two in hopes of enhancing one's experience. Working on this balancing act is an individual's responsibility, and should not be blamed solely on the greek system.

Maybe rush should be shortened. Maybe new member education should be more condensed.

My point is that, although some think the academic and greek entities should be kept separate, they are the two entities that make DePauw University a great liberal arts college, and should be allowed every chance to become even stronger in the future.



Jonathan M. Howard '06