This week, female students will rush for entrance into Panhellenic Association sororities to find people to share their college experience with.
The Panhellenic Association includes Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Kappa and Zeta Tau Alpha chapters. According to the Panhellenic page on the Greek Life Web site, it encompasses the most sororities of any ruling body in the Greek system.
Hannah Van Malssen, president of Panhellenic Association, said 460 women rushed last year, and the number of women rushing and joining sororities has increased consistently since 2001.
“We expect the number of women rushing this year to be consistent with or increase from last year based on our recent membership trends,” Van Malssen said.
Krista Spreitzer, vice president of membership of Panhellenic, said every Panhellenic woman in every chapter is responsible for recruiting new women.
“Recruitment is not just a week out of the year—it is a continuous process. Every day we try to represent ourselves in the best way possible to attract new sorority women,” Spreitzer said.
For those who choose not to rush, the entire process may seem shrouded in mystery and secrecy. And recruiting new members to become a part of the process is an obligation that comes with becoming a member of Panhellenic sororities.
“Rush gives a potential new member the opportunity to learn about the Panhellenic community as a whole and make an informed decision as to which organization they are interested in becoming a part of,” Van Malssen said.
Unity is encouraged within the Panhellenic community by promoting the common goals and values of the represented eight organizations. Panhellenic holds friendship, scholarship, philanthropy and service in high regard.
Maggie Luckadoo, vice president of membership, said rush is crucial to sororities’ success.
“It is the period of time in which each organization adds to its membership women who will go on to become chapter presidents and leaders in various capacities, Luckadoo, a junior in interdisciplinary studies, said.
Luckadoo said sororities continue to build and grow by gaining new sisters who can further achieve goals and carry on important traditions unique to each chapter.
Recruitment provides women who are interested in joining a sorority with the opportunity to learn about the chapters, as well as meet women representing each one. This is important to the process and vital for understanding the Panhellenic community as a whole.
Rachel Yee, Panhellenic secretary, said sisters acting as Sigma Rho Chis shepherd the women through the rush process.
“Each girl is assigned to a Sigma Rho Chi who they will meet up with before each day of recruitment starts. The Sigma Rho Chis remain disaffiliated and unbiased so that women going through recruitment feel comfortable asking questions about individual sororities,” Yee, a senior in political science, said.
There are several steps to rushing a sorority and it takes about a week, Luckadoo said.
The first step of the rushing process is for a potential sister to attend Information Night in Talley Ballroom, which is taking place tonight. Here, attendees learn about each chapter and prepare for upcoming recruitment events. Information Night is not a required night for women that plan on rushing, but it is highly recommended because it allows them to learn more about each organization and what rush is about. Tonight is also the last night for women to sign up for recruitment, as registration closes at midnight.
On Open House Night, women who have signed up to rush visit all eight of the sorority houses and meet members of each one.
House Tours Day kicks off the weekend with a focus on philanthropy. Women going through recruitment will tour around six chapter houses and learn more about the philanthropic efforts on which the chapters focus throughout the year.
On Skit Day, each sorority performs a skit at its chapter house, which is meant to help women going through recruitment learn more about the organizations. They’ll also have an opportunity to speak further with sorority members. Women will generally visit about four houses.
The final night is Preference Night, where potential members talk more in-depth with sorority members and hear more about the chapters they visit that evening. It’s a formal night in which each sorority is given the opportunity to share with the rushees why its sorority is important. Women typically return to two houses.
Bid Day occurs on Sept. 16, and is a celebration in which each sorority welcomes new members. Once rushees receive their bid, they report to Harris Field to meet up with their respective sorority.
“The recruitment events are the same each year on our campus, and are much like recruitment events for Panhellenic Association organizations across the country,” Luckadoo said.
She said the time period between accepting a bid from a sorority and becoming an initiated member varies for each organization, but women joining at the conclusion of recruitment are typically initiated during the fall semester.
Luckadoo became involved in Panhellenic during her sophomore year, when she represented her sorority. She enjoyed seeing the bigger picture of the Panhellenic community.
“I enjoyed working with members of each chapter and was impressed by the hard work and accomplishments of each of them and their sororities,” Luckadoo said.
Like Luckadoo, Van Malssen was a former Panhellenic delegate for her chapter. She was inspired to get involved with Panhellenic because of her sorority recruitment counselor, who had been a previous Panhellenic president.
“She appreciated each individual chapter, worked for the greater good of all Panhellenic sororities and enthusiastically encouraged me to see the Panhellenic community as a whole. She inspired my to help other sorority women and our community unite under the same ideals to grow together,” Van Malssen said.
