Truman State University - Echo Yearbook (Kirksville, MO)

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FRATERNITIES PULL TOGETH- ER Phi Kappa Theta members participate in non-alcholic activi- ties held during rush. This year began the dry rush parties. Photo by Carl Kolkmeier HOW DRY I AM Dry rush dries out the Qrecks but. this intramural tug of war referee is ready to get wet at the muddy battle between Phi Kaps and TKES. Photo by Carl Kolkmeier Student Life Dry Rush

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While the number of rush cards given out in- creased from 240 in fall '85 to 269 in fall '86, the num- ber of men who pledged dropped from 180 to 137. Mo reason for the drop in numbers was established. Some fraternity members BYE BYE BEER Fraternities have mixed opinions on the effects of the new dry rush policy however, attributed the decrease to specific fac- tors which affect their own groups. The biggest controver- sial issue that faced all fra- ternities was the dry rush policy that went into effect last fall. The policy stated that no alcohol would be served during rush activi- ties. Dry rush received both positive and negative re- views from fraternities. Most fraternities agreed that dry rush benefited their rush efforts because it eliminated the so-called professional rushees. Everyone who signs up is really interested in join- ing a fraternity and not just interested in going to all the parties, senior Roger Walgren, Sigma Tau Gam- ma rush chairman said. I think dry rush was beneficial for our organiza- tion, junior Jeff Rayfield, Alpha Kappa Lambda president said. Several organizations held barbecues along with athletic activities. Phi Kappa Theta altered their annual band party by serv- ing non-alcoholic beer, while Pi Kappa Phi held a Student Life 22 pinball and a video night. It wasn't hard planning activities. It just took a lit- tle more thought than sim- ply going out and buying a keg,” sophomore Chris Jordan, Phi Sigma Kappa rush co-chairman said. I think the hardest part of organizing it is over, Rayfield said, nowall the members know what to ex- pect and we've already done the brainstorming to create activities. The activ- ities will stay basically the same from now on. Although the activities were planned according to the dry rush policy, some fraternities were reported- ly investigated for alleged alcohol violations. Dean of Students Terry Smith said. Mo fraternities were penal- ized. The policy was not uni- versally adhered to, but there were no flagrant violations that warranted penalties, Smith said. Penalizing an organiza- tion for holding a party away from the fraternity house was complicated because it was difficult to prove the purpose was for rushing members. Smith said. Rush chairmen and the Interfratemity Council members attributed any disorganization or lack of communication to the fact that this was the first com- pletely dry rush. “It was rough as far as getting it organized. Down on paper it looked fine, but there were problems in communication such as getting date notices to the fraternities, sophomore John Witte, second vice- president in charge of rush for the I PC said. Junior Mollice Clark, member of Lambda Chi Al- pha, felt that scheduling and organizational prob- SPIRIT WITHOUT SPIRITS Members of Pi Kappa Phi fraterni- ty and little sisses attend a foot- ball game to promote themselves to potential rushees. Photo by Valerie Hoeppncr lems existed. The night we had rota- tion there was a dance on the mall, and a lot of guys went to it to see the girls rather than participate in the rotation, Clark said. Rotations involve divid- ing the rushees into groups and rotating them to different fraternities for an allotted amount of time. Another problem Clark cited was a communica- tion gap with freshmen rushees. They were not informed well enough about where to get their IPC cards and did not fully understand the rotation system, he said. A communication gap was not the only problem that Sigma Tau Gamma had concerning freshmen. Because the fraternity's grade point average for spring '86 dropped below the average GPA of their last five semesters. Sigma Tau Gamma was not al- lowed to rush members without 15 hours of estab- lished credit. Fraternities found that there was a strong move toward a nationwide prac- tice of dry rushes on col- lege campuses. We found at our na- tional Conference that the number of our chapters who participate in dry rushes had more than doubled in the past year, sophomore Todd Pruett, Phi Kappa Theta rush chairman said. Our na- tional gave us several ideas for activities, but we did not get them in time to organize them. It will take a few years to work out all of the bugs, but it is a productive rush method, Jordan said. I believe it was orga- nized pretty well for the first time, Rayfield said. -----Barb Dietrich-------- Dry Rush

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ALL Thanks ro artificial rays, worshippers of the sun can have their bronze bodies Spring weather, not to mention summer, in Kirks- ville lures many people out of their rooms and apart- ments to worship the sun outside. Once these warm months vanish, the trend is to seek indoor aid. YEAR Despite the health ques- tions surrounding tanning beds, this part-time hobby has become a full-time mission. Dermatologist Lloyd Cleaver at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine is very much op- posed to the use of tanning beds, he saw the effects of sun exposure while work- ing a private practice in California and also while working with the Los Ange- les Olympics and the Navy. We re just starting to see the results from the tanning craze 10 to 20 years ago. In another 10 to 20 years we ll find out what the intense exposure of UVA rays will do to the skin, Dr. Cleaver said. Sunlight is composed of three basic ultraviolet rays, the UVA, UVB and UVC. The UVA (ultraviolet alpha) is believed to be the least harmful of the three. The theory behind tanning beds is to remove the UVB (ultraviolet beta) rays, which are the most damag- ing and harmful, and to leave the UVA. Managers and owners of the tanning salons claim the beds are safer than the sun because of this theory. Using the tanning beds, they say, is good for you, making you look and feel better. Studies show, however, the tanning beds emit wav- elengths different and more hazardous than the sun. The UVA rays can damage blood vessels in the skin and might affect the immune system, as well as damaging connec- tive tissue, making the skin age earlier. I don't think it's any- more detrimental than the sun, but I realize it in- creases my chances of skin cancer and it may speed up the aging pro- cess, junior Beth Cun- ningham said. My awareness of the dangers of tanning is in- creasing. With continued usage, I discover more about it, Cunningham added. The American Medical Association has sent let- ters and information about the hazards of the ultravio- let rays used in tanning beds to dermatologists. Dr. Cleaver said UVA ra- diation can contribute to skin cancer. He has done studies on the effects of UVA radiation, which the Academy of Dermatology is now furthering. Even though this is true, many continue to tan. The businesses in Kirksville alone bring in approxi- mately 254 people on an average day. It makes me feel better about myself. I am suscep- tible to colds and tanning makes me feel better phys- ically and it is relaxing. senior Dawn Porter said. “I think it's worth it. I'll do anything for a tan, sophomore Robin Cav- anaugh said. Dr. Cleaver stated there is no such thing as a healthy tan and if you con- tinue to expose yourself to ultraviolet radiation, you're playing with fire. ----- Kathy Betcher----- ROUND STRETCHING RAYS Karen Walker, so., uses the imitaiion sun to darken her skin. Walker and many others use tanning spas to keep the summer look. Photo by Dixon Munday .udent Life Tannincj Spas