Spring recruitment season has changed drastically over the past couple years due to COVID-19 protocol, but it was back in full swing as of this past week. Recruitment for the 2022-2023 academic year started on Thursday, Jan. 19 and concluded on Monday, Jan. 23.
Recruitment is a time of both confusion and excitement, both from those who choose to rush and those who do not, but this period also included learning and adjustment on the sides of Panhellenic executive members and sisters participating in running recruitment as well.
“I went into recruitment completely blind, meaning I didn’t go to any of the meet and greets nor know anything at all about the sororities here,” said first-year Hannah Wang. Initially, Wang had zero intent in joining a sorority, but was drawn in by the emphasis on academic focus and networking. “It was crazy to see my view on sororities completely change in a matter of a few days.” Wang joined Delta Gamma during this year’s recruitment period.
Those who went through recruitment were not solely first-year students, nor were all of them unaware of the day-to-day workings of UR Greek life. Junior Elia Cuautle had attended some sorority events in the past, and became curious about the process when some of their friends joined chapters themselves. However, it wasn’t until this semester that Cuautle officially decided to rush. “I signed up because I [would] much rather say I went through recruitment than wonder in 20 years what could have been,” they said.
Cuautle also mentioned a lack of open-mindedness about Greek life affecting their choice to rush. “I never considered myself to be a sorority girl,” they said. “I only knew what the media showed me […] but after meeting countless people through recruitment and letting myself be vulnerable, I saw myself committing to a sorority in the end.” Cuautle joined Chi Omega during this year’s recruitment period.
However, not all students who decided to participate in recruitment decided to join. For first-year Adhya Sharma, the time commitment of recruitment proved to be too much, and she dropped from the recruitment process after two days of online recruitment. Her reasoning for going through recruitment was initially to meet new friends, but she mentioned a wariness in her willingness to commit to a sorority as fuel to free up the remainder of her weekend.
Sharma is interested in the COB (continuous open bidding) process that occurs subsequent to recruitment in the spring and in the subsequent fall semester. “I feel like it is a much easier way to join a sorority without all the time that is put into recruitment,” she said.
