On Tuesday, Aug. 27, sororities’ potential new members will meet for orientation to officially start Ohio University’s Panhellenic Recruitment. Four rounds will extend between the first two weeks of the school year, starting on Aug. 30 and ending with bid day on Sept. 8. Recruitment in fall 2023 had all events in one weekend, but this year the Panhellenic Council will return to the traditional two-week process to welcome record-breaking numbers.
According to Sydney Stephan, OU’s assistant director for Sorority and Fraternity Life, Panhellenic recruitment at OU has always traditionally taken place in two weeks. Last year was the first time the process was condensed into one weekend due to the timing of religious holidays and Family Weekend on the academic calendar.
During the 2023 fall recruitment weekend, Panhellenic chapters met with Potential New Members, or PNMs, on campus within classrooms instead of chapter houses.
“It would have been too time consuming for the potential new members to walk across to the different chapter facilities, rather than walking down a hallway to different classrooms,” Stephan said.
Gracie Butler, a senior studying retail fashion, was last year’s vice president of recruitment for Sigma Kappa. She shared optimistic perspectives toward the experience as a way for all chapters to be on an even playing field. Each classroom could hold a limited number of recruiters, so the initial size of the sorority had no effect on PNM interest.
“I feel like it gives chapters who don't necessarily have the highest retention a chance to get those girls back for more rounds,” Butler said. “We're on an even playing field with the 20 or 10 recruiters in the room.”
This year, Butler is participating in recruitment to talk with PNMs and get to know the girls who will be the future of her chapter. Seeing differences between the two consecutive years, the girls hope to gain understanding on what works best overall.
“We'll see how it goes this year, too,” Butler said. “Because we do have those two years back to back; we can kind of see how it worked, and how it didn't work.”
Annalise Bender, a junior studying middle childhood education, is on this year’s Bid Day committee for Sigma Kappa. She said she felt as though last year’s recruitment was more rushed and stressful.
“Since it was all in one weekend, it was kind of back to back,” said Bender, describing the four consecutive days of rushing. “Bid Day was on the same day as preference last year, so we only had about two or three hours to get ready.”
Sydney Cook, a junior studying middle childhood education, is Sigma Kappa’s current vice president of recruitment. According to Cook, having two full weekends instead of one to recruit new members is beneficial for both PNMs and active members.
“This extended timeline provides PNMs with additional opportunities to engage with different sororities, fostering deeper connections and a clearer understanding of each chapter's culture and values,” Cook said in an email. “With more time to reflect between weekends, PNMs can make more informed decisions and assess their options thoroughly.”
According to statistics provided by Stephan and the Panhellenic Council, incoming members are expected to surpass those of the past two years. As of Aug. 1, recruitment has 151 registered PNMs. The number on Aug.1 was 74 PNMs in 2023 and 51 in 2022.
Cook has observed a rise in enthusiasm for Greek life among students at OU. These increasing numbers could also stem from the pattern of higher enrollment rates as seen in OU’s enrollment webpage.
“Greek life has gained enthusiasm from students in some areas due to its social opportunities, networking benefits and community involvement,” Cook said via email. “Many students find value in the strong sense of community, but at the same time, some students may view Greek life as outdated or less relevant compared to other campus organizations and activities.”
According to Butler, recruitment chairs have been putting in the work this summer to prepare for upcoming events. In addition, Bender said the group gets reminders as they near their starting date with themes, color schemes and ideas for dresses or outfits. Monday, Aug. 19 marked the start of work week for active members. In Sigma Kappa, the girls meet each day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to prepare.
“We basically learn how to recruit,” Butler said. “We go through all of the fundamental side of things like how to pick up girls at the door … (and) what steps we take to have conversations with them (PNMs).”
Many girls choose to be on the recruitment frontline, meeting PNMs firsthand. Bender is looking forward to recruitment for meeting everyone, in remembrance of her experience rushing and meeting her best friends.
“I know it's only for a few minutes you really talk to them, but it's just kind of fun to get to know people that could potentially be in your chapter,” Bender said. “You never even know because this person you're talking to could end up being your best friend in a month.”
