The 2010 Fall Fraternity Rush will take place Wednesday, Aug. 25 to Friday, Aug. 27, giving men at Iowa State the opportunity to learn about the greek community and get involved.

Each man participating in Fall Rush will be in a recruitment group led by a disaffiliated member of the greek community, called a Rho Gamma, who will give advice and assistance during the week.

The men will tour four houses each day Wednesday and Thursday. Friday night they will have the opportunity to return to two of their favorite fraternities they had visited. When Fall Rush ends, the fraternity members will be able to invite any men to join their chapter.

Josh K., one of the vice presidents of recruitment for the Interfraternity Council, said the event “gives [men] the opportunity to see a large number of chapters over a short three-day period.”

Dan Schwartzstein, junior in kinesiology, went through Fall Rush in 2009 and joined a fraternity as a result. He said he liked the Fall Rush process.

“I thought it was well organized. The Rho Gammas did a good job of staying unbiased [and] making me feel comfortable with the different fraternities.”

Fraternity chapters recruit most of their new members during the summer in a more casual process. Lucas D., the other vice president of recruitment for the Interfraternity Council, said that their goal was to make Fall Rush more structured and formal.

He said the reason men are interested in going through Fall Rush rather than joining in the summer is because it allows them the opportunity to meet and interact with more of the members of a fraternity before committing to it.

“It’s their only opportunity to see this many chapters,” Lucas D. said.

Schwartzstein said that instead of “feeling like I was being recruited,” he could get an inside look at different fraternity houses without feeling pressure.

“I felt like the decision was up to me,” he said.

Last year was the first organized fraternity rush in more than 20 years. Of the men who participated, 95 percent joined a chapter. This fall there are 70 men signed up, which is 50 more than the number of participants in 2009.

Any men interested in participating in Fall Fraternity Rush can still sign up by e-mailing [email protected] or calling the Office of Greek Affairs at 515-294-1023. The event includes three meals and a T-shirt.

Josh K. said Fall Rush is a great way to meet a lot of people, get a glimpse of the greek community, and decide which chapter is the best fit.

Schwartzstein said, “I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get involved. It’s a low pressure situation. See a few houses [and] investigate if it’s something you are interested in.”