Are you interested in joining a Greek organization but don’t know where to begin? More often than not, students decide to join a sorority or a fraternity without knowing the “real deal.” Senior co-chair of Panhellenic recruitment Helen Gregorek, however, knows the ins and outs of recruitment and the steps to joining your preferred organization.
For fraternities, the process is fairly informal. Organizations may have a few rush events that are spread through word-of-mouth where the brothers have an opportunity to meet with rushes and gauge their level of interest. Unlike sororities, fraternity rushes do not have a Round Robin event that ensures equal exposure to each organization.
Sororities, on the other hand, have a far more rigid recruitment process.
“We have a system on the computer called Interactive Collegiate Solutions, which matches the sorority’s preferences as well as the PNM’s–– potential new member––preference,” Gregorek said. Most students believe that they have little to no say in which sorority they would like to join, but students do in fact have a choice.
“Basically anyone can join a sorority, but there is a grade point average requirement of 2.5 for national sororities and you have to be at least a second-semester freshman,” Gregorek said. “We want you to get adjusted to the college life before joining a sorority.”
Recruitment week kicked off in Sturges Hall where Round Robin took place on Saturday Jan. 24. Gregorek explained that Round Robin consists of various classrooms holding brief, 5-minute presentations on all different sororities. Students are able to go around and watch the presentations of their choosing. Ultimately, Round Robin aims to break down stereotypes and misconceptions that those rushing might have previously had about certain sororities.
If you’re looking for a quick “in,” you better look elsewhere because the process of recruitment is a long one. Gregorek explained the packed schedule of someone looking to join a national sorority: visiting four sororities, two weeks of recruitment, philanthropy nights, first invite, icebreaker activities and then the formal last night. After all that, you may only be invited to one or two sororities.
While choosing and joining a sorority, many students have misconceptions about certain sororities. Gregorek explained that these preconceived notions can be detrimental to potential new members finding their perfect match.
“Try to not be biased, be more open and look around,” she said. “Even if you have to go see everything, it’s for a good reason. Having a positive attitude makes you more welcoming to girls who meet you at events.”
Another bit of advice that Gregorek stressed was finding where you feel the most comfortable. “Finding a place where you’re not nervous and you can feel like you can be yourself is a really good sign of where you fit in,” she said. “It’s not going to be where you’re trying to impress people.”