This year's fraternity rush process resulted in 277 accepted bids-a slight increase over last year's numbers.
Interfraternity Council officials explained that although 368 bids were extended by fraternities, many rushees received more than one bid; the 74 percent acceptance rate does not take into account the overlapping offers.
Last year, 377 bids were extended and 257 were accepted.
IFC President Stephen Broderick, a Trinity senior and member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, partially attributed the rising numbers to the greek system's improved image around campus.
"Fraternities have been more responsible and accountable for their actions over the last few years," he said.
But the main draw for this year's rushees, Broderick said, was most likely elevated amounts of one-on-one contact.
"The decision to join a fraternity usually comes down to a potential member's experiences with individual members of a particular organization," Broderick said. "By initiating personal contact, a fraternity begins to move from traditional 'rush' toward active recruitment of new members."
Ken Collins, a Trinity junior and IFC's vice president for rush and pledging, said that despite discussion earlier this year regarding recruitment of minorities into the greek system, IFC made no formal policy to attract underrepresented groups.
"The members of IFC felt compelled to address the issue regarding the low minority representation in fraternities; however, we felt that any public effort on our part to address the controversial topic would be interpreted as purely superficial," said Collins, a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. "We realize that an increase in the number of minority students participating in rush will be based upon positive personal experiences, not IFC policies."
Rushees' responses to their bids were due Tuesday evening.
To avoid last-minute fraternity influence, the area outside the Interfraternity Council office was declared a "greek-free zone" immediately before acceptances were due.
"It was a problem last year-it really came down to the wire for what decisions the guys made," Collins said. "Fraternity members would try to 'consult' them [while they made final decisions]."
IFC also shortened the period during which rushees could decide whether to accept bids. Also, last year's requirement that the first three weeks of rush events be held on campus stayed in place; officials explained that this allows rushees to experience life in sections and attend more events in one night.
They also cited safety issues as a reason to keep rush on campus.
Fraternity presidents said they were pleased with their turnouts.
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