Early sorority Recruitment Week eases first week schedules

Sorority members and incoming first-year women at the University of South Dakota experienced a lightened load for the first week of classes in comparison to previous years with Fall Recruitment Week taking place the week before classes began.

Amber Groh, director of Sorority and Fraternity Life with Student Services, said the change was made because the tradition of sorority recruitment taking place the first week presented many clashes with outside activities such as orientations and evening classes. Women interested in joining sororities in the past went through recruitment the first week of school during the evening.

“We moved it to be before school to resolve those conflicts,” Groh said. “It gives the women a better opportunity to get into a chapter and get to know the organization.”

From Aug. 19-21, over 215 women interested in Greek Life participated in events to become familiar with the four sororities at USD and attempt to receive a bid in one. Of those women, approximately 150 received bids, Groh said.

Brought forth by the Panhellenic Council made up of nine sorority members, the idea of changing the dates was approved last year. In the past, women entering the recruitment process paid a $10 registration fee. It was changed this year to $45 and included a t-shirt, meals and activities throughout the three days.

To participate, the women also had to move on campus early. The standard fee from the university is $17.95 a night, and Groh said that expense was added to the fall semester bill for the women involved.

“We tried to be really conscious of that cost,” Groh said, referring to a condensed schedule in relation to previous recruitment processes. “We also planned activities for the women who decided to not continue with recruitment.”

A large part of the new sorority Recruitment Week involved pre-registration — if women didn’t register prior to Recruitment Week they were unable to participate.

Stephanie Fischer, Panhellenic Council recruitment chair, said marketing was bumped up to the max to get as many recruits as possible. Greek Life reached out to incoming first-years throughout last year and into the summer leading up to Recruitment Week through emails, presence at Fast-Track Days and many levels of social media.

Fischer, senior in Alpha Xi Delta, said there was a difference in the girls who went through recruitment this year and those who participated in recruitment in previous years.

“It’s nice to get them here separately,” she said. “It clears their mind and helps them focus on recruitment because it’s a big decision. They were here for a reason and for a purpose and were able to focus on that without outside distractions.”

While the Panhellenic Council opted to explore earlier recruitment dates, the Interfraternity Council, made up of fraternity men from the eight chapters at USD, decided to stick with the traditional rush week that has always been held the first week of school.

Groh said there are notable differences between the processes between sorority and fraternity recruitment at USD.

It is not mandated for men going through rush to pre-register, and although Groh said a collective amount do, men are not turned away if they merely decide to show up to events without already signing up. Additionally, she added the fraternity recruitment is more laid-back than the sororities’ process.

This year’s fraternity rush began Saturday night at Prentis Park.

“We have seen record numbers at our kick-offs,” Groh said.

Brent Olinger, president of the Interfraternity Council, said about 200 to 250 men participating in this year’s Recruitment Week.

In a similar attempt as the Panhellenic Council, Olinger said recruitment was moved up a day to steer away from class-related conflicts and promote quality time spent familiarizing with the men and fraternities. But, he added, with the fluctuation in numbers participating in recruitment and more houses involved, more differences must be considered than for sororities.

“The fraternity recruitment process is different than the sorority’s,” Olinger said. While females are more affirmative in the decision to become involved in Greek life, Olinger said, it is more difficult to persuade males past the stereotypes often involved in fraternities.

For next year’s fall sorority recruitment, Groh said the events will again take place in the week before school.

“We have gotten an almost overwhelming amount of positive feedback,” she said.

Alpha Phi President Alex Parkinson, a senior, said the council did a good job getting the word out to prospective members in time for the early recruitment.

“It’s definitely something new but it went very well,” she said.

First-year Morgan Jewell is a first-year from Jefferson, South Dakota and pledged to Alpha Xi Delta. She found out about the early recruitment through emails and registered to try something new that none of her close friends had done.

“I kept getting emails about it and how the deadline was coming soon so I thought I would just try it,” she said. “It seemed like a nice way to meet new people.”

Early recruitment allowed Jewell to enjoy the process more and better prepared her for her first week of classes.

“I loved that it made it so much easier and I can’t even imagine dealing with the stress of classes and evening recruitment,” she said. “I’ve walked around and the girls have showed me where everything is and I know most the girls on my floor. I feel like I have an upper-hand.”