Recently, there has been some discussion around the Greek community to implement a dry rush policy for fraternity recruitment this coming rush week.

During rush week, fraternities attract potential candidates at night through different events such as parties, dinners at area restaurants, and trips to sporting events and casinos. More times than not, alcohol is present.

Under a new dry rush policy, individuals, regardless of age, would be prohibited from consuming alcohol for one, several, or all days of rush week.

Let me be clear that Greeks do much more than drink. In fact, I’d argue more than 95 percent of what we do as Greeks is not alcohol-related. In addition to volunteering in the community, being Greek provides a support system, potential for leadership and character development, and exposure to diversity and complex issues.

So why all the talk about dry rush?

First and foremost, I think we sometimes forget one very important fact about drinking at Cornell. The legal drinking age in the State of New York is 21. The overwhelming majority of rush week participants are underage. Serving these people is illegal and there is no debating that.

Very wisely, the IFC and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (OFSA) recognize that even with the law in place, these students will drink. Instead of spending their resources and time on preventing drinking outright, they spend time making sure that alcohol is consumed safely and responsibly. I applaud them for doing so.

In theory, dry rush would eliminate alcohol-related events.

In reality, a dry rush week would put students in greater danger than they are already in.

Although drinking is not the main focus of rush week, it is a component. People are going to drink. They’ll go to unregistered fraternity parties and events. Fraternities will take recruits off campus to clubs and bars throughout central New York.

With illegal events occurring, I highly doubt that fraternities will stop and think, “Let’s get a couple of sober monitors … and put away the vodka guys. We’re fine with Keystone!”

We’re safer, instead, with the IFC and the OFSA allowing students to drink and policing it as they have been doing. Last rush week, for example, there were no medical transports to the hospital. That’s a significant improvement from years past.

The important thing to note is having an entirely dry rush week is as misleading as an entirely wet one: both inaccurately portray the Greek system as something they’re not.

As a brother in a fraternity, one criterion I look for in a candidate is their behavior when under the influence of alcohol. When drunk, how do they treat others around them? How do they act towards members of the opposite sex? Are they destructive?

If the answer to these questions is negative, you can bet that I will question their candidacy for membership.

If we take away the drinking component of rush week, I hate to think that I may be recognizing these qualities in recruits when it’s too late.

A suitable alternative to an entire week of dry rush is making one night of events completely dry.

One night of dry rush forces fraternities to show they can be fun and do fun things without the presence of alcohol. Most of my favorite fraternity memories have occurred without the presence of alcohol.

I’m afraid that if there is more than one dry day, freshmen (and others) will not be as likely to come to rush week activities in the first place. I can’t begin to tell you how many friends I have (including some in my fraternity), that came back to socialize and party without any intention of joining a fraternity.

We should be concerned about these social individuals turning away from the Greek system, missing out on the benefits of being Greek, and holding these same wet events in dangerous, unregulated venues.

If the party aspect is taken away, you have to wonder if enrollment in the Greek System will decrease. That’s something none of us want to see happen for a number of reasons. Namely, some of our most prominent alumni identify themselves with their Greek organization before others. Additionally, the Greek system provides for a tremendous amount of opportunities for students to foster their leadership and personal development.

Fraternity Presidents, IFC Representatives, and Greek Leaders: Let us not inaccurately portray our Greek System with a system of smoke and mirrors. Make one day of rush dry … and let that be the end of it.

C.J. Slicklen is a senior in the School of Hotel Administration. He can be reached at slicklen@cornell.edu. Closing Time appears alternate Wednesdays.