Greek recruitment week springs into action

By Sydni Anderson, Staff writer

Greek life recruitment week kicked off at Murray State on Monday, Jan. 23. Students interested in rushing for spring semester registered online but unlike fall recruitment, there is no fee for rushing in the spring.

Starla Hicks, president of Murray State’s College Panhellenic Council, said spring recruitment differs from fall recruitment because there is less of a centrally structured schedule.

“The chapters are in charge of putting on their own recruitment events,” Hicks said. “And the number of girls who receive bids are significantly less in the spring.”

During sorority fall recruitment, everyone goes to the same place at the same time. Hicks said there is no universal schedule for the chapters or “gamma chis” – the recruitment counselors – during spring rush.

Interim coordinator of Greek Life and Student Leadership Programs Brooke Hubbard said spring recruitment is more relaxed.

“It’s a lot more informal in the spring—a lot more casual and laid back,” Hubbard said.

For fraternities, that sentiment also applies towards their fall recruitment. According to Hubbard, fall and spring recruitment is pretty much the same for fraternities. Fraternities have a schedule of events that happen throughout recruitment week. Individuals interested attend the events to learn more about a fraternity and get to know members.

Despite this discrepancy between sorority and fraternity fall recruitment, Hubbard said more people rush in the fall semester for both.

“Recruitment is larger in the fall,” Hubbard said. “There are about 200 males that rush in the fall versus 50 in the spring. For sororities, about 300 rush in the fall compared to the 75 to 80 in the spring. The size of it is scaled down.”

Tyler Thorpe, junior from Mortons Gap, Kentucky, said he rushed in the fall semester but had to drop it. Thorpe signed up for spring recruitment and said he is excited for the brotherhood aspect of Greek life.

“I’m expecting to be a part of something and find people I can hang out with and trust,” Thorpe said.

During spring recruitment, Hubbard said she facilitated the opening day for the 23 Greek organizations’ recruitment.

“I make sure that they’re (the sororities and fraternities) set up and ready to meet members,” Hubbard said.
On Monday, Jan. 29, spring recruitment will end with “bid day,” the last day of recruitment where potential members who were invited back on Monday received their bids to join a sorority or fraternity.

Hicks said her favorite part of recruitment week was seeing the girls run “home” on bid day.

“The excitement in their faces as well as on the faces of all of the active members makes the stress that goes along with recruitment all worth it,” Hicks said.

 

Photos from Bid Day for Delta Zeta, courtesy of Jenny Rohl/The News.

Scroll to Top