The midterm is quickly approaching and as with every facet of life at Rensselaer, plenty is happening in fraternity life. Rush is over, bids have gone out (well over 600—that’s over 45 percent of the freshman class), and pledge periods have begun. On top of the usual, a lot of notable things are happening this fall.
The Interfraternity Council welcomes its newest member, the Pi Delta Psi Fraternity. Two weeks ago on September 24, the colony was granted associate member status by the Council after receiving university approval. Kenji Yanagisawa, president of Pi Delta Psi, described the principles of the fraternity in an article written for the Greek Gazette: “Pi Delta Psi was founded…to help promote Asian awareness amongst themselves and throughout the community. Throughout the country, Pi Delta Psi has extended their knowledge of their own cultures and many other cultures, to promote not only Asian awareness and unity, but also to try to help eliminate prejudice and racism in the community; therefore, unifying them as a whole.” For the full article, visit the Greek Gazette online at http://www.greeklife.rpi.edu/gazette.htm. The idea of bringing Pi Delta Psi to Rensselaer started in 1997 but unfortunately made little progress until 2001. The Council is excited to have a new fraternity bringing with it more diversity, cultural awareness, and opportunities for students—greek and non-greek alike. Please congratulate members when you see their letters on campus.
Another greek related issue that has been long in coming is the Relationship Statement. It is a formal document that details the two-way relationship between fraternities and sororities, and Rensselaer. The current version went into effect in 1991 and the revised version has been in the works for the past few years and is long overdue. Some of the larger changes include risk management policies, chapter housing requirements, and consistency with The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities. In order to be approved, the document requires a two-thirds in favor vote from all fraternities and sororities with one alumnus and the chapter president voting. An information session is planned for today at 5:30 pm in DCC 308 to clarify and discuss any problems before ballots are due on October 15. Both the current Relationship Statement and final draft up for approval are available on the Office of Greek Life’s website: www.greeklife.rpi.edu/.
On the social side of greek life, Greek Week is coming up in a few days. Saturday officially starts the events which will include a variety of sports and other competitions. The Panhellenic Council will also be having its annual Lip Sync on Tuesday, October 14. For a complete schedule of events, visit the Interfraternity Council website: http://ifc. union.rpi.edu/
In the next article, there will be an overview of rush and pledging over the past few years, tracking how many bids were distributed and how many students pledged. If your chapter has any events or information that you would like to be included in this bi-weekly article, please e-mail me at lullt@rpi.edu.
