Flowers and balloons will no longer be filling sorority floor hallways because of a recent policy change in the greek community.

This year, sororities and fraternities will be paired together through a matching process instead of the traditional asking process that typically pairs them for Homecoming, Greek Week, Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon and Greek Sing, said Jared Wolfe, IFC Greek Week associate vice president.

Wolfe said that in the past, the asking process involved three days of fraternities giving sororities gifts and favors, including food, flowers and balloons. Such gifts would cost a maximum of $250 a semester, he added.

Panhellenic Council (PHC) President Annie Larimer said fraternity members also gave sorority members car rides to classes and presented a skit or performance on the final night.

Larimer said such favors caused grievances from the Office of Housing because at least 40 fraternity members would be in and out of the building unescorted, and the halls would be littered with leftover food and gifts.

Dissatisfaction with the asking process was also an issue addressed at IFC and PHC meetings, so the process was changed, Larimer said.

"It is a lot better alternative than the formal asking," said Nathan Leopard, assistant director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Greek Week adviser.

The new process, which will become effective for this year's Greek Week, began with each fraternity and sorority chapter picking their top five choices of chapters, Wolfe said.

During the first round, which occurred last week, a committee comprising IFC, PHC and Sorority and Fraternity Life members paired a fraternity and a sorority based on the rankings. Those not paired were placed into a second round and then paired based on their new top five choices, which were released yesterday.

"This process got rid of any competition action," Wolfe said.

Wolfe said another change in the process is involving the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) together with IFC and PHC for the major events.

Leopard said there are about 15 NPHC and MGC organizations that could be paired with an IFC fraternity or included with an IFC fraternity and PHC sorority pair. He said this method encourages the NPHC and MGC groups to be involved with the whole greek community. "It's Greek Week, not IFC and Panhellenic Greek Week," Leopard said.

Greek Week Marketing/Public Relations Overall and NPHC spokesman Randy Winder said that even though this process was met with some resistance by organizations, the change was about the unity of all four councils. Winder said the unity won't happen overnight, but it can in the future.

"We all are taking a lot of stride to unify," Winder said.

Mike Markovich, president of Acacia fraternity, 234 Locust Lane, said the system is completely different than what members are used to, but it works for the time being.

Markovich said fraternity members no longer have to do any work to get the sorority of its choice, which seems strange to the members. "The process is a lot easier, but less fun," she said.

Larimer said that in the beginning, some PHC presidents were upset with the change because it went from a three-day event to making a list and waiting for a response. Larimer said members now understand the process and will eventually adjust.

Gamma Phi Beta sorority member Ashley Pierce said that even though this year will be her first Greek Week experience, she thinks the new process will be effective. However, Pierce said the process did not get rid of a lot of drama. "It did not eliminate cattiness, but it eliminated costs," Pierce said.