Joining ΑΧΣ
Frequently Asked Questions
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Isn't a fraternity supposed to be for men only?
Although most fraternities for women call themselves sororities, fraternity is the more general term for a greek letter organization. We are a fraternity in the true sense of the word. Interestingly, all members are referred to as brothers, including our female members.
What is pledging?
You can join some organizations simply by filling out a form and mailing in your dues. Joining a fraternity is more work. Pledging is a process where you associate with our fraternity for several months before becoming a member. This gives you and us a chance to get to know each other before we both decide it is time for you to become a full member.
What is rush?
Rush occurs during the first two weeks of school. It is the recruitment process where a fraternity finds people who might become pledges. We set up a table in the College of Chemistry during rush. We also have several on campus info-sessions as well as a BBQ at our house. At the end of rush, bids are handed out. A bid is an invitation to pledge.
What is a Professional Fraternity?
A Professional fraternity chooses its members based on common professional goals and interests. The more common social fraternities choose their members based on common social interests.
Who can pledge AXΣ and when can I pledge?
Anyone who is going to take at least three chemistry or chemistry related classes. This means most scientists and engineers are qualified. The sophomore year is an ideal time to pledge. Of course, you can also pledge any time before or after your sophomore year - this includes graduate students and professionals. We usually conduct pledging in both the fall and spring semesters.
Is pledging fun?
We hope so. If you don't find it fun, you won't find being a member fun either. Save your money and quit.
How much of a time commitment is pledging?
At least several hours a week. We have mandatory pledge meetings once a week and recommended activities on some weekends. The time commitment is more than that to join most clubs, but much less than that to join a social fraternity. We will not wake you up at 5am to do push ups! The time commitment for pledging is meant to be the same as for a minimally active member. If you don't have time to pledge, you wont have time to be a member, so don't bother.
What will I do as a pledge?
As a pledge you will have a "big", an active member to act as mentor and help you through the pledging process. You have to learn a little about the fraternity and alchemy (yes, you will be quizzed). Mostly though, you will be having fun and learning what brotherhood is all about. We have a pledge sleep over where we roast marshmallows and watch Animal House. We go ice-skating after a pledge meeting. We spend a Saturday doing a chemistry "scavenger hunt" called Wyvern. These are just a few examples of pledge activities.
Do I have to live in the house?
No. But members get priority if they want to live in the house.
Is AXΣ only in Berkeley?
No. AXΣ has about 50 collegiate chapters throughout the country. One of the coolest parts about the fraternity is visiting another chapter or meeting brothers from a different part of the country. I am always surprised how much we all have in common.
Can I join another frat/sorority if I join AXΣ?
If you join AXΣ, you can not join another professional chemistry fraternity. Since we are the only chem frat on campus, the answer is yes. In fact several of our brothers are also in social fraternities and sororities.
I'm a grad student. Why would I want to associate with undergrads?
Well, first of all, we are not only undergrads. Many of our active members are graduate students. If fact, many professors are also AXΣ brothers (including some with Nobel prizes). Since we are a professional fraternity, we also have an active presence in industry and a number of professional chapters. AXΣ is not just for undergrads, it's for life.
