From left, Kellie Crawford, Jamey Jones, Robyn Hicks, Jessica Markley, Jess Lilly and LeeAnn Jordan distributed their Rush lists Tuesday at the Rho Chi table outside of the Memorial Student Center. Photo by Erin N. Emch

---

Rho Chis remain neutral during Rush counseling

For a Rho Chi, sisterhood means disaffiliating herself from her sorority, learning how to counsel people to make their own decisions and new friends.

"Joining a sorority was the best decision I have ever made," Jessica L. Markley, Williamstown senior, said. "I've developed many close friendships within my own sorority and now that I have become a Rho Chi, I have been able to do the same with girls from other sororities."

A Rho Chi is a sorority member who functions as a recruitment counselor during the Rush process, when prospective members tour and research prospective sororities. She acts as a counselor and friend to girls going through Rush by answering their questions about sorority life.

"Sorority Rush is a great opportunity for both Rho Chis and rushees," said head Rho Chi Kellie Crawford, Winfield senior. "We get to meet and socialize with many different women in an unbiased environment."

In order for them to be unbiased, some restrictions are placed on the Rho Chis. They are not allowed to wear or display their sorority letters, socialize with their sisters or do anything else that may give away to which sorority they belong. They are to only to socialize with other Rho Chis and rushees.

"Being a Rho Chi allows us to develop sisterhood outside of our own sorority," Shannon Hines, Winfield senior, said. "In the past couple of weeks, I've gotten to know girls from other sororities that I previously didn't know."

There are two ways to become a Rho Chi. All members of the Panhellenic Counsel, the executive board for the Greeks, are automatically Rho Chis. Other women interested in being a Rho Chi must apply and be interviewed.

Representatives are chosen from each sorority to be Rho Chis.

Once they are chosen to be Rho Chis, the women go through a week of training focused on improving their counseling skills.

This year, the women returned to Marshall a week before classes started and received training from both the Women's Center and the Counseling Center in Hunting-ton.

Most Rho Chis are juniors or seniors, and must have worked as a rusher.

"I have been both a rusher and a rushee, and I wanted to see things from the other side, Jessica Lilly, Wellsburg senior, said. I wanted to see it [Rush] from every angle... It was just something I wanted to do before I left."

Crawford's reason for becoming a Rho Chi was similar. "I wanted to see the Rush process from different angles. I was the Rush Director for my sorority in the fall of '98 and the spring of '99 and I wanted a new experience."

Any women interested in signing up for fall Rush must do so by Thursday, when Rush week activities begin. Rush week runs through Monday.