Rush Week presents opportunities, develops relationships among peers

Social clubs, campus activities staff and freshmen are gearing up for this year’s Rush Week which will take place in January.
Tim Harrell, director of campus activities, has decided that this year will closely resemble last year’s Rush Week.
“There won’t be any differences this year from last year,” Harrell said. “This will be a monitor and adjust year. We’re going to run it like it is.”
 
Harrell is handling the Inter Fraternal Council (IFC) for men’s Rush and Becca Woodall, assistant director of campus activities, will be handling the Panhellenic board for women’s Rush.
 
“For the first time in several years there will be only four girl’s clubs,” Woodall said. “It will be a really interesting dynamic because we’re expecting a lot more girls to rush this year than last year. I’m really looking forward to girls making connections with other girls on campus.”
 
This year’s Panhellenic board consists of eight girls, two from each social club. They work hard to ensure that the freshmen girls have a safe and fun experience during Rush.
 
“Panhellenic is a neutral body of girls who take a “backseat” in their clubs for the semester and during Rush in order to be a helper to the girls who are going through the Rush process,” said senior Molly Magee, Panhellenic president. “We answer any questions that they have about clubs in general and try to encourage them through Rush. We also plan the Rush schedules and work with clubs as they choose their new pledge classes.”
 
Magee is excited to see girls go through the Rush process and experience the benefits of being in a club.
 
“I know how special my club has been to me throughout my time at Ouachita,” Magee said. “And I am so thrilled for these girls that they are going to get the chance to develop those relationships. We want to make sure that girls know the life changing friendships and memories that we’ve experienced for ourselves by being in our social clubs. But we also want to make sure girls know that being effective on Ouachita’s campus doesn’t require social club membership. To us, it’s just an added bonus of being a student on the campus that we love so much.”
 
Rush Week will take place Jan. 17 through Jan. 23. Freshmen guys will Rush during the first half of the week and girls will rush at the end of the week.
 
For more information about Rush, visit the Campus Activities Office or attend Rush Roundup in Evans Student Center banquet rooms on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m.