Unlike last year, freshmen this summer will not be discouraged from going to fraternity houses.
During summer 2008, freshman participating in the Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) received an e-mail from Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Roy Baker instructing them to not to attend social functions at the fraternities.
Now, he believes he made a "mistake."
Baker, who was in his first year last summer after leaving Syracuse University, a private school, said he didn't realize fraternities at a public institution like Penn State could open their doors to summer freshmen without violating recruitment policies.
While the incoming freshman have not been given a warning this year, Hoss Hewitt (freshman-security risk analysis) said he would have disregarded the e-mail and experienced the fraternities for himself anyway.
"People should be able to make their own decisions and not be pressured by the school," he said.
Even though there was no e-mail warning this year, fraternities that are open during the summer still have some regulations to adhere to, one being that alcohol should not be used as "enticement" for recruitment. Parties also need to be registered with the Interfraternity Council (IFC). Not following these regulations would be dubbed as "dirty recruitment," Baker said, which could be punishable by fines.
In the past, it was hard to keep track of which fraternities were hosting freshman parties, but Baker said that has changed.
"Fraternities have gotten their act together and know they have to keep it under control," he said. "The IFC and I are really looking out for the fraternities by suggesting not to have freshman parties."
Recruitment doesn't happen often during the summer, Baker said. He said he doesn't see a problem with fraternities trying to make a stride to build relationships with some of the new freshmen for fall recruitment.
Phi Kappa Theta President Jarrod Anderson (senior-supply chain information systems) said only seven to eight members are living in the Phi Kappa Theta house this summer. He said he doesn't expect there to be much recruitment of the new freshmen.
"People up there this summer should concentrate on their studies and getting acclimated to the Penn State atmosphere," Anderson said.
Baker has hopes that these summer relationships between fraternities and possible recruits could be built in a non-party way.
"I would love to see them invite freshman down to the house because they'd be doing a community service day," he said.
Baker said no issues with dirty recruitment have been brought to his attention this summer.
However, he said members of one fraternity might have violated party regulations already this summer by passing out flyers to freshman women for an unregistered party.
Baker said members of Phi Kappa Theta, 338 E. Fairmount Ave., were distributing the flyers, decorated with the Playboy bunny logo and their Greek letters with a map to their house. Anderson (senior-supply chain information systems) had no comment about the party because he "has no clue what happened." Anderson is not living in the house this summer.
While Phi Kappa Theta's party was unregistered, it would not be considered a recruitment event because the handouts were only given to women. He said most fraternities do not have a lot of money for parties, and a lot of the parties that will occur are during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
