Most of you reading this have probably already formed some kind of opinion about Greek life, be it positive (Parties! Fun! Woo!) or negative (Paying for friends? Pass). While I can understand a lot of the negative aspects ⁠— having joined a fraternity myself ⁠— I really can’t do anything but advise you to give it a try through rush.

First of all, Greek life is not for everybody. It has its own culture that just might not mesh with your personality or preferences. But then again, each house has its own individual culture, as well. That’s why I highly recommend rushing a few different houses to see if there’s a group of people you can really get along with. And if not, that’s fine; there’s absolutely no commitment when rushing. Simply check “rush a fraternity/sorority” off your list of college experiences, and move on!

Personally, I wasn’t sold on Greek life during my first semester of college. I didn’t think it had much to offer. I had tried rushing and didn’t like the people I had met in the houses that I visited. Luckily, out of sheer boredom, I rushed again second semester and found the perfect fit for me. 

Unfortunately, rush this year will play out much differently than previous years due to the ongoing pandemic. For fraternities, there will most likely be no events allowed at chapter houses. Events that take place cannot exceed 50 people, including rushees and active members. Many opportunities to meet with and talk to active members are being moved online, and houses must track names and information of individuals that attend events. The rush process for many sororities has been moved almost entirely online, except for the last round, or preference round. 

While these stipulations don’t make for the most exciting rush season, this will also give rushees a better chance to have meaningful conversations with active members and the ability to make level-headed decisions about what houses fit the best with them. This year, rush will depend a lot less on who’s throwing the biggest parties. 

All of this adds up to a better, more meaningful experience for those of you that haven’t quite decided if Greek life is something you will want to be a part of. Without parties to lean on, fraternities will be forced to really sell you the day-to-day culture of their house. Will parties be promised? Of course, and there will probably still be parties thrown by some houses despite the regulations, but due to these regulations, this will probably be one of the most transparent rush seasons to date. Take advantage of it!

Greek life has so much to offer aside from parties. If social fraternities aren’t for you, try a business, engineering or religious house. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding like-minded individuals and pooling your thoughts, ideas and resources to create a community in which you can grow and that you’re proud to be a part of. 

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