Sorority rushees looking for frills will have to look a little harder next fall.

The Panhellenic Council rush committee has voted to implement a "no-frills" rush policy for next year, bringing a halt to all decorations for the three rush rounds --a first for sororities.

The decision was prompted by guidelines set by the 26 national sororities, who gave a list of nine points to be implemented to each university organization, said Sue Goss, sorority liaison on the overall rush committee and member of Delta Zeta sorority, 3 Hastings.

"We've pretty much covered the rest of the guidelines," Goss said. "There might be some minor changes as the year progresses."

Goss said each university could adapt different variations of the points set by the national sororities, who gave a 1994-95 rush deadline for implementation.

"Some campuses have different changes," she said.

No decorations will be allowed inside or outside each sorority's suite, although items already there, such as scrapbooks or trophies, can remain, said Angie Zeglin, Panhel membership vice president. Windows and name tags can have Greek letters and names, but no elaborate themes are allowed.

"The whole idea of not having decorations puts everyone on a more conversational level," Zeglin said. "It's also going to make things less expensive."

Both Zeglin and Goss said the change hopefully will shatter certain stereotypes that can be attached to sororities.

"This will also do away with the idea that a certain type belongs in a certain sorority," Zeglin said. "You're going to find a great diversity; everyone is unified . . . there will not be 20 sororities rushing, just one big rush."

Zeglin said another important factor the policy deals with is competition between sororities.

"This will decrease a lot of the competition," she said. "In the past, (each sorority) always wanted a better theme, which, in a way, is ridiculous."

Most of the feedback for the rule has been positive, Zeglin added.

"In the beginning, it was a major change," she said. "But when it was digested, the feedback was great."

Because of Penn State's size, Panhel had to get a head start on the deadline, Zeglin said, adding many other universities already have a "no-frills" policy.

"I definitely think it will be beneficial to all sororities and Panhellenic as a whole," said Panhellenic President Lisanne Farach. "It will bring the focus back to the women instead of on superficial things."

Farach said the change should increase rush numbers.

"A lot of people are turned off by it -- all of the balloons and decorations -- because it was very superficial," she said. "I think now they'll open their minds to (rush)."