Joey Baio left his Lakeview home just before Hurricane Katrina hit. He transferred to Nicholls from Delgado after the storm. He says Nicholls has been good to him, and he is planning on staying until graduation. “I like this place a lot,” he says. “It is small, and I have gotten along with the people real easy here.”

Baio is a Tau Kappa Epsilon legacy. Two of his uncles are TKEs.One even attended Nicholls. He was disappointed that his school of choice, Delgado, did not have a TKE chapter and sees his time at Nicholls as a chance to follow in his family’s footsteps. So, Baio attended Nicholls’ Interfraternity Council Rush.

It all starts for Baio and about 80 other rushees in Le Bijou Theater on an ordinary Wednesday night. They are divided into three groups that will be introduced to each of the five IFC fraternities at Nicholls.

First for Baio’s group is TKE. Their room is surrounded with TKE awards and photographs. TKE members in red and black jerseys mingle with the potential members. Baio talks to TKE members, and they show him pictures from past parties and explain to him about brotherhood and other ideals they hold.

The next room is Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Their room is heavily decorated, and Baio is greeted by SAE’s sweetheart, who takes a picture with each rushee as he enters. SAE members are abundant and dressed in collared shirts and slacks. SAE shows a slideshow also and brags equally about its Greek Cup win and its Horse’s-Ass Trophy.

Baio enters Phi Kappa Theta’s room and notices that these guys are different. PKT members are clothed in T-shirts and baseball caps. Decorations are limited to a few T-shirts and a solitary flag hung on the wall. During the introduction speech, they promote their parties and boast about their alumni foundation.

After snacking on the catering provided by Wing Stop (owned by two alumni) and speaking with PKT members, Baio considers PKT’s strong points.

Kappa Alpha Order is next., with its members decked out in ties and jackets. While Baio mingles and sits through the slideshow, KA members stress the fraternity’s one rule: Be a gentleman. Southern pride and academia are also stressed.

The Theta Xi room is decorated with blue drapes and T-shirts. Theta Xi leaders, dressed in ties, highlight their parties and helpful nature in their introductions. Baio and a friend discuss Theta Xi over the nacho bar.

“Theta Xi is really close, and you can tell,” Baio says. “But this is just not my type of people. I am more interested in the bigger fraternities, but they did have good food.”

Baio and the other rushees leave the Theta Xi room while reflecting on the night’s events.

“I am definitely TKE right now,” Baio says. “But I have to say that PKT would be just as good. KA seemed a little too strict about grade point average. When I heard 2.5 GPA, I was like whoa. I liked how SAE helps you with scheduling. That way you have someone in your class that you know.”

Baio spends the rest of the night at a friend’s house contemplating which parties he will return to the next night.

They arrive at the KA party before most of the other rushees do and strike up conversations with members. They discuss KA, but Baio also talks about his house in Lakeview and his plans to stay at Nicholls. But Baio crosses out KA as a possibility.

“I liked those guys a lot,” he says. “But they are really proper and have a lot more dues to be paid. That is a major set-back.”

They arrive at the PKT party just as the sun is setting. Baio stays there longer than at the KA party. He clears out after nearly an hour, heading to the TKE party.

“Those guys are so laid back,” he says. “I was talking to all of them, and it was like talking to people I have known for a long time.”

At the TKE party, Baio finds some friends, and he jokes with them for the better part of an hour. His decision is nearly obvious.

Bids are not handed out the next day due to Hurricane Rita but are pushed back until Monday. Baio picks up his bids in the Student Life office around noon: KA, PKT and TKE.

“My decision had to go to TKE,” Baio says while playing football with his new brothers a few days after accepting his bid. “I already have so many friends there, and this is where my family has been. We all hang out every day. The best part is that I now have 20 more brothers that I do everything with.