This Thursday, Aug. 29, the formal Fall Recruitment starts for the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Sororities. Recruitment will last through Monday, Sept. 2.
This year almost 200 women on campus will be going through this process.
Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Chi Omega and Zeta Tau Alpha are the four sororities participating in this year’s recruitment.
Recruitment consists of three nights where the participating women get to learn more about each organization. Each night the women will eliminate one sorority, narrowing it down to the sorority of their choice.
Though a long process for some, many women find this a positive process.
“This is such an exciting experience for women who want to find out more about themselves as they decided to go through formal recruitment,” Kelsey Breland, Zeta Tau Alpha President, said.
Courtney Jordan, member of Alpha Delta Pi, said the experience was positive for women on both sides of the recruitment process.
“Recruitment to me is a time where we get to come together as sisters and really be able to share with others how much we cherish our sisterhood and how much we want more women to be a part of it,” Jordan said.
The first night is the Philanthropy round. The four sororities will introduce their philanthropy to the women and showcase their cause.
This night will show how the sororities advocate for causes that they are passionate about. This shows the women going through recruitment not only the impact these philanthropies have on campus, but also in the community and in the nation.
The second night consists of a skit the sororities will put on showing the benefits of “going greek” and what each sorority has to offer.
Lastly, the third night is Preference, which is when the women have narrowed down from the original four to two sororities.
After the conclusion of these three nights is Bid Day. All four sororities will eagerly await for the women to receive their bids.
Upon receiving their bids, the sororities traditionally wait for the women to run outside where they then welcome them to the sorority.
“For me, Bid Day is like coming home, realizing where I fit in and the start of a new chapter in my life ,” Alyx Burrus, member of Alpha Omicron Pi, said.
Many women who have joined a sorority through the formal recruitment process consider it to be an important choice, including Chelsea Boyd, Vice President of Chi Omega.
“Going through rush has definitely been one of the most valuable decisions I have made during my time at UT Martin. Joining my sorority has opened up so many opportunities for me, and I have never regretted going through rush. The best advice I can offer to a rushee would be to just be yourself and enjoy every moment to the fullest. Rush might be nerve-wracking, but it truly can prove to be one of the most beneficial experiences of your college career, ” Boyd said.
If students have any questions or may be interested in Greek Life, contact Greek Life in the University Center room 213 or at (731)881-7527.
