By IRINI BROM – CENTO WRITER
The decision to rush or not to rush is one that seems to weigh heavily on the minds of most first-years that cross the threshold into Centre’s campus. The Centre College Greek Community graciously pushes the process of formal recruitment back an entire semester with the hopes of alleviating some of that angst, but does it? Unfortunately the answer is: not for some.
Making the decision to rush can be a hair-pulling, tear-inducing decision. Greek life is prominent on Centre’s campus with a 50 percent participation rate and 10 wonderful social organizations to choose from. However, it can seem like the decision to join one of these societies can be a “make-it-or-break-it” decision for your Centre career.
But, just how important is this decision in actuality? Will you regret your decision for the rest of your life if you decide not to take a chance and experience rush? Or if you do decide to take the plunge, will you end up “stuck” in an organization that eats up all of your time and adds nothing to your life but stress and fatigue?
The answer to these questions lie somewhere in between—yes Greek organizations take a lot of time and commitment and should not be entered lightly, but, for some, formal recruitment is a wonderful experience to make life-long friends and new connections that you might have not before.
But, hey, don’t take my word for it, take if from students who have actually been through this process (on both sides) and are very pleased with where they ended up.
Let’s start with junior Nick Nunnelly, a member the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity here on Centre’s campus.
“I decided to join a fraternity because, in the end, I wanted to be a part of something a little bit larger than myself while at Centre. In the end, I saw myself with my friends from my class and a group of men who were incredibly ambitious and wanted to make an impact on campus and the community,” Nunnelly said.
What about the time commitment? Does being involved in a Greek organization mean that your free time disappears and your grades plummet to the ground faster than a horse on rollerblades?
“Luckily, the school sees the Greek community as a vital part of campus life. With this in mind, DKE has taken the opportunity to make sure that remaining engaged in the academics of Centre is of paramount importance,” Nunnelly said.
Are there cons to being in a Greek organization here on campus? Nunelly’s reponse is a definite no. “No cons. That is all. You have a support group always at your disposal, and you have a group of genuine friends who will always hold you accountable.”
Does that settle it? Everyone should participate in rush and they will all be super happy about it and live happily ever after, right? Not convinced? Neither is junior Karenna Kiper, who went through formal recruitment her sophomore year but decided not to initiate into a sorority for her own personal reasons.
“I think going through the process of recruitment made me realize that I might feel uncomfortable at the other end of the spectrum, imagine myself doing the recruiting and the skits probably wouldn’t end well and I wouldn’t be happy doing it.“
Greek life isn’t for everyone. Everyone hears it, but no one really understands it—being a member of a Greek organization takes a lot of time. Formal recruitment doesn’t just happen over night—it takes months and months of planning, and late night decorating, in addition to simply putting in your time and energy in to getting to know the Potential New Members (PNMs).
The time commitment required for Greek life may not be the right fit for someone interested in putting in that time with one of Centre’s other organizations and studies. Kiper agrees, “I have a lot of time that others don’t. I’m able to get my work done and any other organizations I can dedicate my time to.”
As it turns out, making the decision to rush or not rush really doesn’t seem to impact your life at Centre, or maybe even your life beyond Centre, in any extreme way. There are plenty of pros and cons that come with deciding to dedicate your time to one of Centre’s Greek communities and honestly, it comes down to personal opinion. The only person who can actually answer the question of whether or not rush is for you, is you. Make an informed decision, stick to it, and be happy. Do your best, be your best, no regrets.