Spring rush is underway, but due to growth, some social service clubs may not be as dedicated to pursuing new members as they have been in past years.
With a record high undergraduate enrollment, social service clubs saw more prospective club members during fall rush than before. Some clubs received rush classes that almost doubled the number of old members.
As clubs are preparing to add even more members to their body this week, officers and old members are experiencing both the positives and negatives of having larger clubs.
“You have more people to do things on campus, more opportunities to do things in the community and be seen,” Gina Clay, Theta Theta Theta sponsor, said. “But, with that also adds more people, which [adds] more personalities and opinions.”
Clay, in her first year as a club sponsor, said even the old members have to work and adjust to the new club dynamic after having a large rush class.
“Before we had 50 girls rush, there were only 26 in the club,” Clay said. “And so when you add that much more, it’s like every one has to do a little bit more.”
Junior Ellie Haynie is a member of Iota Kappa Phi, one of the clubs that has consistently grown over the past few years. Haynie said the additional work that larger numbers require is well worth the effort and will continue to be so as more members are added during spring rush.
“The more people there are, the more options there are, so it makes it better,” Haynie said.
Haynie said she did not feel that a large number of members would hinder the experience of a tight-knit group.
“I think that we still have the right to act as a small club,” Haynie said. “In the same ways, we can choose to do the things we want to.”
Rush directors are responsible for organizing recruitment of new members and helping them adapt to their club. Last week, many rush directors planned events for spring rushees to participate in and get to know current club members. On Tuesday, they will oversee the interview process for prospective members.
Senior Tevin Cleveland, Chi Lambda Phi rush director, said the support of the club is important in making the rush and induction processes operate smoothly.
“If they’re organized and they have good officers below them, then, they should be able to manage the amount of people that they get during the rush season,” Cleveland said.
Junior Marki Crouse, Theta rush director, said having new members outweigh old members has been the biggest challenge for her club this year, and she anticipates that to continue as more members join this week.
“There’s more people that don’t know the rules than there are people that do know them,” Crouse said. “It’s a lot of explaining stuff and making sure everybody is being good.”
Clay said one of the most important aspects of managing a larger club is making sure that priorities remain in the right places.
“[Having larger clubs] adds a whole different dynamic,” Clay said. “The club has to decide ‘What are we doing? What are we about? And how do you make those adjustments?’”
Cleveland said a club could easily maintain its priorities and personality by making sure a prospective member is a good fit for its image and goals before offering them a bid.
“I feel like each club looks for certain type of person before they let them into the club,” Cleveland said. “They want them to fit the stereotype of the club.”
Crouse said her goal as a rush director is not to find the most members but to find the right kind of members, and she is keeping that in mind as she navigates through spring rush.
“For Theta, we don’t like to be big, but this year we got a really good class,” Crouse said. “Next year, who knows? Maybe we’ll only get 10 girls who want to rush.”
Crouse said she appreciates the freedom each club has to take on its own rules and identity. She said the most important part of rush is finding the place where each student belongs.
“If [clubs] want to [let in more people], and if those people fit into the club then they should,” Crouse said. “Rushing a club is about finding friends who are like you, because there is literally a club for everybody.”
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