Women's Recruitment kicks off this weekend

Sororities will be busy this weekend trying to build for their futures. Chapters will be doing their best to recruit new members from the pool of women participating in 19 Party, part of this year's women's Recruitment.\nWomen who are interested in being part of the greek community will visit all 19 chapters Saturday and Sunday to narrow their choices for which sorority would be best for them.\nThis is different from men's fall Recruitment for fraternities, which gives participants the option of checking out only the houses in which they are interested.\nSenior Heather Shook, vice president for recruitment for the Panhellenic Association, said the system gives each house an equal opportunity to attract members.\n"In this system, each woman sees each chapter from the same standpoint," she said.\nSenior Allison Hall, director of recruitment counselors, said it also gives women a chance to look at chapters they might not otherwise consider.\n"It helps to break down stereotypes and open your eyes to chapters you might not think about," she said.\nRecruitment is also much more formal for sororities than it is for fraternities, Shook said. There are strict guidelines for what chapters can and cannot do. Chapters cannot give out gifts or try to actively seek out new members. The chapters are supposed to just present their sorority and let the women decide. Also, prior to the first round of Recruitment, any woman may visit any sorority at any time. After a date set by Panhellenic, potential members and sorority members may have no communication with one another except at organized Recruitment parties.\nFollowing 19 Party, chapters are not allowed to have registered women over for social events.\nAfter the women check out the houses, they will visit 12 chapters, then narrow it down to six, and they will hear their bids before school begins the next year. At each stage of the process, there is a different formal event such as a skit, presentation or video about the chapters.\nSenior Erin White, president of Kappa Delta, said her chapter had multiple meetings this summer with other Kappa Delta members to get familiar with the process.\nShe said her chapter looks for girls who exemplify leadership in the community.\n"We want commitment to community service and philanthropy," she said. "Academic excellence and leadership capabilities are also important. Overall, there seems to be more focus on principles in the greek community and less on socializing."\nJust as important as what sororities look for in members is what women look for in potential chapters.\nSophomore Molly Linch said she decided to join a sorority because "it is a great way to get involved in the community."\nShe said she looks for community service and grades far more than just who throws the best parties\n"I want to be a part of the greek community because I know it will help me in my career," she said. "I know it looks good on resumes, but it also is a great way to make connections and help me with my grades."\nWhite said women should join the chapter in which they feel most comfortable.\n"It all comes down to who you get along with most," she said. "It's the chapter where they really feel comfortable when they have a conversation with them. It's whoever they can relate to the most."\n-- Contact campus editor Adam Aasen at aaasen@indiana.edu.