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Thursday, March 27, 1997
UT fraternities face declining membership
AUSTIN (AP) - Fraternity membership has fallen dramatically
at the University of Texas, with a 29 percent drop from fall 1990
to fall 1996.
Reasons cited for the decline range from concerns about grades
to membership costs to hazing, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
"The fraternal image on campus has lost a lot of its promise,"
said Jeremy Gough, president of UT's Delta Kappa Epsilon.
"Parents see those articles and say, 'I don't want my
son to become the next Gabe Higgins.' "
Higgins was pledging the now-disbanded Texas Cowboys, a UT
spirit organization, when he drowned at a 1995 initiation picnic.
Forty states have laws against hazing, including Texas.
The National Interfraternity Conference estimates membership
has been stagnating since 1990, at 400,000 men. The National Panhellenic
Conference, the sorority counterpart, reported slight declines
in new members and has about 300,000 nationwide.
"There has been what we euphemistically call 'the rush
recession,' " said Dave Westol, executive director of the
national Theta Chi fraternity. "I think our image has caught
up with us."
Sororities and fraternities increasingly are focusing on traditional
values, such as leadership training, good grades and community
service.
UT's Interfraternity Council is hiring a consultant to help
increase membership.
"Fraternities may have lost sight of how to recruit men,"
said council president Jon Shulkin.
"We're looking at helping students register for classes,
helping them find a place to live, inviting them to social events,
getting to know them, offering them a positive experience."
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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