Interfraternity Council (IFC) rush is fully underway, but Cal Poly-affiliated fraternities are not the only ones holding rush this year.
Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) and Delta Sigma Phi (DSP) are holding their own separate recruitment processes this week due to their current states of suspension and disaffiliation, respectively.
PIKE was suspended from Cal Poly for six years in January. DSP is disaffiliated until 2020. During this time, neither fraternity is allowed to use Cal Poly facilities to hold chapter meetings, compete in IFC sports, use the Cal Poly brand or participate in official events with other greek organizations.
Disaffiliated fraternities are also not allowed to advertise recruitment on campus. This means they can’t pass out fliers or set up booths. However, this has not stopped the fraternities from promoting rush events by word of mouth or through social media.
Computer engineering freshman Anthony Epshteyn said approximately 60 potential new members showed up to PIKE’s first official rush event — a tri-tip cookout at an off-campus house. Esphteyn heard about the event from a PIKE member — though the fraternity had posted its rush schedule on Instagram and Facebook.
Epshteyn said PIKE has a lot to offer Cal Poly students, even if the chapter isn’t recognized by the university.
“I saw PIKE as an opportunity to meet people that are more similar minded to me,” he said. “I also thought that being in that fraternity would help me get a job, because it is so big around the country.”
PIKE President and business administration senior Nick Lench is supporting his fraternity in spite of the suspension.
“Pi Kappa Alpha is striving to maintain the high standards of its membership including areas such as scholarship, leadership and integrity, both among its existing brothers, as well as those amongst the community who may share similar values,” Lench said in an email. He declined to comment further.
But PIKE is not the only disaffiliated fraternity with a loyal following.
Journalism junior Navid Golemohammadi is rushing DSP this year, and had similar thoughts to Epshteyn. Golemohammadi said joining DSP could be beneficial for networking opportunities, social aspects and academic help.
Golemohammadi also said that DSP has a strong backing by their national organization, and its members will continue to participate in its philanthropy work.
“I think DSP is like any other fraternity on campus in what they have to offer to new members,” Golemohammadi said. “They require you to have a certain GPA, study certain hours in the library and have mock tests that you only have access to if you’re in the fraternity. It kind of forces you to become a better student.”