Rush hour

More than 1,400 potential sorority members were out in full force Saturday and Sunday participating in 19 party, the first phase of the greek recruitment process. \nThe women donned matching black long sleeve shirts highlighting the 19 reasons to go greek on the back, and starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday could be seen trekking from house to house. They visited 10 houses the first day, and the remaining nine the second.\nGroups of 70 to 80 potential pledges, chosen alphabetically, were accompanied by four or five recruitment counselors. The counselors, also called Rho Gammas, are sorority members who disaffiliate themselves from their houses to help women through the process. They do not reveal anything about themselves that would give away the house they belong to, including last names and sometimes even first names. \nRho Gammas are usually in charge of one floor of a dormitory, and have between 10 to 30 women in each group.\nEach group spends a half-hour at each of the 19 houses, talking to members and sometimes taking a tour. Members welcome groups into the house by banging on windows and doors while clapping and chanting their house cheer. Much of the rest of the day is spent traveling between houses and waiting for the next party to begin. Sororities use this time to prepare for the next party, while Rho Gammas take attendance for their group. Women must attend all 19 parties to be eligible for a bid.\nOne traditional responsibility of Rho Gammas is to make name-tags for all the women in their group, and they take this job seriously. Many times the creative tags are elaborate, using glitter and unique themes to set the groups apart. Pink elephants, sparkly flamingos, Polar Pop cups and snowmen were some of the tags recruits wore this year.\nWomen either walked or rode special recruitment buses that shuttled the potentials to different sorority houses. Many said they were grateful for the ride Saturday when it rained for much of the day; but even the uncooperative weather couldn't ruin the event.\n"The weather was horrible this morning," said Michelle, one of the Rho Gammas who declined to give her last name, as she waited outside Delta Gamma with her group Saturday night. "We're all wet, our feet are wet ... but everyone is hanging in there. If we get through today, then tomorrow will be easy."\nJamie, another recruitment counselor, was impressed with the way the women in her group handled the inconvenience.\n"They kept their morale up even though the weather was bad," she said. "They were all so positive and happy."\nThe women were rewarded Sunday with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60s. \nRain or shine, most women saw their experience during 19 party as a positive one, and planned on continuing with the process.\nFreshman Jaclyn Goldman said although she was getting tired by the end of the first day, she was still having fun.\n"I thought it would be stressful, but the (sorority members) are really nice," she said. "It's laid back ... except for when they pound on the door before we go in."\nGoldman said she thinks she will like being in a sorority because "there is always something to do, and always someone to go out with."\nSophomore sorority members are also going though a new experience; this year they are on the other side of the recruitment process.\n"It's very different, but interesting," said Libby Hiple, sophomore member of Delta Gamma. "It's just as nerve-wracking because I want to portray a positive image for my chapter."\nHiple also said the days seemed to go faster for her this year because she didn't have any waiting to do.\n"Things go on (in the house) in the 20 minutes between parties that I didn't know about last year," she said.\nFor her, one of the most challenging aspects of the parties is keeping up good conversation with the potential members she meets.\n"At times it can be difficult because everyone is kind of nervous, and so it sometimes seems forced. The little awkward silences can get weird," she said. "But other times it just flows, it really depends on the person."\nDespite this, Hiple said she is having a great time hearing everyone's story, and encourages women to join a house.\n"On the whole, the greek community is a very unifying force," she said. "In my chapter specifically, we have people from all over. We have women with 4.0s, women who like to stay in, some who like to go out ... you can't have that many people in one house and not learn to appreciate everyone's differences."\nJunior member of Alpha Omicron Pi Ashley Ray also said she was enjoying recruitment this year.\n"There are a lot of good women coming through this year," Ray said Sunday morning. "The house is energetic and excited to continue today."\nRay said the best part of the process is meeting potential members, but it is sometimes difficult to get to know the person in such a small amount of time.\n"It's hard because you want to give all the women the same amount of attention as you gave the first person," she said. "It's also a long weekend on little or no sleep."\nSorority members sometimes stay up till the early hours of the morning after the parties are finished. Alpha Omicron Pi members were not finished until nearly 2 a.m. after the first round of parties.\nFreshman Julia Huber, a Bloomington native, said the whole experience has given her a different view of the houses she used to drive by and think of as pretty mansions.\n"I now know the (women) that live in the houses," Huber said. "It gives them a whole new perspective and meaning."\n-- Contact staff writer Haley Beck at habeck@indiana.edu.