Photo by Amy Beth Bennett

Rush Week begins

The Interfraternity Council officially kicked off Rush Week 1996 in an orientation Monday at the University Student Union.

Fraternities, however, held off their celebrations and orientations until Saturday with barbecues and open houses, to introduce themselves to prospective brothers.

Nine major fraternities exist at Cal State Long Beach, each representing its own tradition. All of these traditions function on the IFC system, which begins recruiting this week.

Rush Week is basically designed to give students interested in joining a fraternity a chance to take a look at all the possible organizations they can become involved in.

The week began with Rush Orientation on Monday night. The chairmen of each fraternity had a chance to speak on behalf of their organization, giving all fraternities equal opportunity for attracting new members. The orientation also gives the members and prospective members a chance to mingle and get to know one another.

The days following orientation are the social out-coming days where each fraternity holds their own social events. From 7 p.m. tonight through Friday, evenings are set aside to sort through prospective members and to give them an opportunity to get to know what each fraternity is all about.

The week concludes Saturday evening with a preferential, by-invitation-only, dinner held by each fraternity. Parties are usually held after the dinner to congratulate those who have been chosen to participate in the semester-long initiation process. The initiation process varies among the different groups, with each carrying its own traditional processes.

Tradition and fraternities go hand-in-hand. Many celebrities -- Brad Pitt, David Letterman and Tom Selleck, to name just a few -- were once members of these types of organizations.

Fraternities offer an opportunity to get involved in an organization that promotes school and social awareness. Those interested should call (310) 985-4181 for more information.