The University Greek system is preparing for Spring Invitational — formerly called Spring Testing — which will begin tomorrow and last through Friday.
Greek organizations are planning to scale down traditional activities this year. Instead of hosting open houses, the only effort to reach potential Greeks will be Thursday evening at 8:30 p.m., when each organization will be present in the Student Union to answer questions.
Louis Bartels, the Interfraternity Council Recruitment Chair, said each fraternity will set up an information table in Tiger Lair.
The students will have to walk by these tables to get to their meeting place, Bartels said. This provides a good opportunity to expose them to Greek life at the University.
Bartels said that there will not be any official parties.
Next year the IFC will try to organize a committee to plan more informative on-campus activities for high school students during Spring Invitational, Bartels said.
Graesa Amdahl, president of the Panhellenic Council, said it was easier to ask interested students to go to one place for information instead of asking them to go from house to house.
Angela Guillory, assistant director of Greek Affairs, said it has been difficult in the past for students to go the different houses in such a short amount of time.
“The houses are so spread out,” Guillory said. “The girls couldn’t get a good sense of all the chapters.”
Amdahl said Spring Invitational activities have changed in order to ensure the safety of the students.
According to previous Reveille coverage, authorities responded to an emergency call about an unconscious high school student at a Sigma Phi Epsilon party during Spring Testing in 2003.
Collin Eley from Mandeville, La. was hospitalized for treatment for alcohol poisoning and the fraternity was eventually put on probation.
Amdahl said the incident has nothing to do with the change.
Guillory said alcohol did not raise the issue when making the decision.
“We used to have problems with alcohol, but that is definitely not an issue anymore,” Guillory said.
Guillory added that moving the students from the houses to the Union would not necessarily cut down on alcohol use.
“If the students want to take the young men and women out, we can’t stop them,” Guillory said.