NIU’s Phi Sigma Kappa twisted its normal rush procedures this year to further guard against hazing potential fraternity members.

The Grand Council of Phi Sigma Kappa voted last month to ban the pledging system in order to eliminate hazing, the rites of passage into a fraternity which sometimes spells injury, embarrassment and humiliation.

“All national fraternities clearly oppose hazing,” said Tom Recker, executive vice president of Phi Sigma Kappa. Ten known hazing incidents occurred nationally in Phi Sigma Kappa chapters last year, he said.

The new method obeys the fraternity’s national chapter and the NIU Interfraternity Council guidelines.

In the new “Brotherhood Program,” students are invited to accept a “continue to rush” bid. They are considered still rushing until they are comfortable with the active members, said Tim Kocher, Rush chairman for Phi Sigma Kappa.

At that time, the student becomes “activated” during five days of orientation focusing on the fraternity’s history and principles and culminates in a secret ritual, Kocher said.

The student then will be equal to the other members and able to take on leadership rolls, he said.

Other students can accept the “continue to rush” bid during the school year, Kocher said. However, because NIU’s Interfraternity Council requires pledging students to visit five fraternity houses, they will not become activated until the next semester’s formal Rush, he said.

Students should be mature enough to realize that having new members immediately activated will make their chapters better, Recker said.

“We were skeptical at first,” he said. “But I am amazed at the success of the program.”

Twenty students received the “continue to rush” bid and one was given the “activation” bid at this year’s rush, he said. Only 15 men rushed each of the last three semesters.

The fraternity joins other national organizations such as Zeta Beta Tau, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Omega Psi Phi and Kappa Alpha Psi, in cutting pledging.