Page 24 - 1908 November - To Dragma

TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 19

RUSHING P R O B L E M S IN A L P H A OMICRON PI C O L L E G E S

The primary object of rushing should be the furthering of ac-
quaintance between members of a fraternity and new students or
prospective members, so as to enable each to decide more correctly
whether they wish to become bound for life to the other. The prin-
cipal evil in the rushing conditions in most colleges is that this
object is lost sight of in an intense rivalry between the various fra-
ternities over supposedly desirable material. No chapter can ever
attain great strength without harmony within itself and this har-
monious feeling cannot be engendered unless new members are chosen
each year for congeniality first, not because some other fraternity has
rushed the same girls and can be shown unsuccessful, nor solely
because family position or wealth of certain girls may help the stand-
ing of the chapter.

To this end, as late a pledge-day as possible, agreed upon by all
chapters in a college, seems to be the most desirable factor. Allowing
a new student a semester or a year to become acquainted with college
conditions, and with college students in general before she allies her-
self with any one group would make her a stronger member for the
fraternity she chooses by developing her individuality. This also
gives the chapters who are considering her in the light of a prospect-
ive member a chance to see what she can make of herself; and
whether or not she will add strength to their membership in person-
ality and popularity as well as congeniality.

But the late pledge-day develops other rushing evils. Naturally
any chapter that has decided upon a certain girl as eligible does not
want to give any other chapter a chance to become first in her affec-
tions. Parties given for the sake of "becoming acquainted" are apt
to develop much elaborateness in order to make a better impression
than those given by rival chapters. A l l this requires much time and
forethought on the part of hard-working members, not to mention
financial outlay beyond the bounds of simplicity supposed to be
observed by school girls.

Strange to say, girls are supposed to go to college to obtain an
education, with social pleasures and fraternity associations as inci-
dentals rather than vice versa. Where the rushing season is long and
rushing functions elaborate and numerous it leaves the loyal frater-
nity girl little time to do justice to her studies or her health, besides
the strain which anxiety of mind inflicts upon both rusher and
rushee. This necessitates stringent rules regarding the number and
simplicity of rushing parties to be at all successful, but these in
turn are difficult to carry out to the letter