Published 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z”/>

Stacey Kennelly

Brotherhood and safety top the list of priorities for Chico State fraternities this semester.

Interfraternity Council recruitment started Monday. The “Go Greek” slogan is tattooed on banners and tables throughout campus. Young men are crowding outdoor walkways in matching shirts, passing out fliers and breaking into random chants. Many multicultural fraternities kick off their yearlong recruitment with tables in the Free Speech Area.

Fraternities now prefer the term “recruitment” because the old term, “rush,” came from the idea of physically rushing to a fraternity house to party, said Larry Bassow, the program coordinator for Greek life at Chico State.

“We’re not offering beer anymore, and we’re fighting an image problem, so we need to recruit them,” Bassow said.

IFC is the governing body for 10 fraternities recognized by Chico State, while the remaining fraternities are either part of the Multicultural Greek Council or are working their way into one of the two councils, Bassow said.

Senior Drew Lewis, president of Phi Delta Theta, said his fraternity is one of a few IFC fraternities that will use a new concept for recruitment this spring.

In addition to sitting around the house, Lewis hopes to set a trend of recruiting safely by inviting potential members to philanthropic events the fraternity supports, such as Up ’til Dawn, he said.

While Phi Delta Theta takes part in the formal recruitment week for IFC, the fraternity recruits year-round, Lewis said. His brothers’ involvement with outside activities such as student government helps them to meet the kind of men they want to join.

Delta Chi President David Temko, a senior, said his fraternity recruits by tabling in the walkway between Glenn Hall and Meriam Library to inform others about events such as barbecues. Potential members are invited to see the house and hang out with brothers during recruitment.

Rituals are important to IFC fraternities, Temko said. But the ban on alcohol at socials has forced his fraternity to put a hold on old traditions and start safer ones that will draw in potential members.

“We promoted parties in the past,” Temko said. “Now we’re promoting brotherhood.”

The mind-set of IFC and multicultural recruitment is different, Bassow said.

While no Chico State-recognized fraternities recruit first-semester freshmen in the fall, many multicultural fraternities don’t recruit anyone in the fall, Bassow said. Multicultural fraternities recruit in the best way because they spend time building relationships with potential members throughout the year and know exactly whom they want to recruit in the spring, he said.

Senior Raul Curiel, president of Epsilon Sigma Rho, said recruiting brothers has become his Latino fraternity’s priority since numbers are low. The fraternity usually raises money for research on prostate cancer, he said.

Senior Jose Babadilla’s multicultural fraternity, Nu Alpha Kappa, recruits year-round. The process begins with formal informational nights and tabling at the beginning of the semester, but throughout the year, brothers keep an eye out for men with common interests, he said.

The fraternity recruits not by pushing men to join but by being honest about the fraternity’s priorities and the character of its brothers.

“If it’s us, that’s great,” Babadilla said. “If it’s not, that’s fine, too.”

The recruitment process for IFC and multicultural fraternities is free. Men interested in joining an IFC fraternity can register online at www.chicoifc.com.

Stacey Kennelly can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>