2008 Woodie Awards
Rushing into Greek Life
Bryan Jackson
Issue date: 2/5/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The beginning of the spring semester here at Rockhurst can only mean one thing for many freshmen: Rush!
With the longer layoff from Christmas break, recruitment for sororities and rush for fraternities started before anyone had much time to get settled. Sorority recruitment started the first day of class, Wednesday, January 17 and ran through Sunday, January 21. Fraternities got started with open house information nights on Tuesday, January 23, and Wednesday, January 24.
Sorority recruitment is a very organized and formal process that actually begins the spring semester of the previous year. It is at this time that recruitment counselors are chosen. There are an equal number of counselors from each sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha, and this year there were 5 counselors from each sorority. Recruitment counselors are paired with a counselor from the opposite sorority and together they lead a group of 9 or 10 girls during recruitment.
Recruitment counselors along with the Panhellenic Council make sure recruitment runs smoothly and answers questions that potential members might have. Recruitment counselors are also not allowed to show their sorority affiliation, not only during recruitment but also during the entire fall semester as well, by doing such things as wearing their letters.
There are also certain rules that must be followed in the fall by all members of a sorority. Members are not allowed to promise bids, give or receive gifts, or hang out outside of school as this could be seen as pressuring or persuading girls to join.
During the actual recruitment week from Wednesday through Sunday, girls interested in joining are split into small groups. Each night, the sororities host their individual parties in their respective chapter rooms. Only one group visits a sorority at a time while the other groups along with their recruitment counselors pass the time by playing games and entertaining themselves in the Rock Room.
During recruitment, girls have to observe a curfew and the dress code leading up to Saturday night increasingly became formal. Saturday night is a more serious occasion and afterwards girls are not allowed to talk to anyone about what happened or which sorority they are thinking about joining.
On Sunday afternoon, the girls met in Conway 103 to sign their bids if they wished and handed them in. This year Alpha Sigma Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha each had 23 girls sign bids. Following recruitment there will be a period where the girls learn about the sorority before initiation. Panhellenic president and Zeta recruitment counselor Katie Goessler thought this year's recruitment was a success.
"I really enjoyed recruitment this year as a counselor," said Goessler. "But I am glad it's over so I can hang out with my sisters again."
With the longer layoff from Christmas break, recruitment for sororities and rush for fraternities started before anyone had much time to get settled. Sorority recruitment started the first day of class, Wednesday, January 17 and ran through Sunday, January 21. Fraternities got started with open house information nights on Tuesday, January 23, and Wednesday, January 24.
Sorority recruitment is a very organized and formal process that actually begins the spring semester of the previous year. It is at this time that recruitment counselors are chosen. There are an equal number of counselors from each sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha, and this year there were 5 counselors from each sorority. Recruitment counselors are paired with a counselor from the opposite sorority and together they lead a group of 9 or 10 girls during recruitment.
Recruitment counselors along with the Panhellenic Council make sure recruitment runs smoothly and answers questions that potential members might have. Recruitment counselors are also not allowed to show their sorority affiliation, not only during recruitment but also during the entire fall semester as well, by doing such things as wearing their letters.
There are also certain rules that must be followed in the fall by all members of a sorority. Members are not allowed to promise bids, give or receive gifts, or hang out outside of school as this could be seen as pressuring or persuading girls to join.
During the actual recruitment week from Wednesday through Sunday, girls interested in joining are split into small groups. Each night, the sororities host their individual parties in their respective chapter rooms. Only one group visits a sorority at a time while the other groups along with their recruitment counselors pass the time by playing games and entertaining themselves in the Rock Room.
During recruitment, girls have to observe a curfew and the dress code leading up to Saturday night increasingly became formal. Saturday night is a more serious occasion and afterwards girls are not allowed to talk to anyone about what happened or which sorority they are thinking about joining.
On Sunday afternoon, the girls met in Conway 103 to sign their bids if they wished and handed them in. This year Alpha Sigma Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha each had 23 girls sign bids. Following recruitment there will be a period where the girls learn about the sorority before initiation. Panhellenic president and Zeta recruitment counselor Katie Goessler thought this year's recruitment was a success.
"I really enjoyed recruitment this year as a counselor," said Goessler. "But I am glad it's over so I can hang out with my sisters again."
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