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Rushing Greek Life on campus can be an overwhelming and rewarding experience. As the spring semester kicks off, so does the recruiting process for Greek sororities and fraternities.
Jake Etienne, a junior education and history major, serves as the President of Alpha Sigma Phi. Etienne said he had his own reservations about Greek Life because of all the negative stereotypes surrounding fraternities, but because of events like Meet the Greeks and the basketball tournament, he was able to find his place within Alpha Sigma Phi.
“Overall, rush season is during the first weeks of the spring semester,” Etienne said. “For Interfraternity Council (IFC) organizations like Alpha Sigma Phi, Alpha Chi Rho, Phi Kappa Theta, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Pi and Zeta Psi, we have informal events over the course of the next two weeks for our potential new members. Some events Alpha Sigma Phi has are a LinkedIn seminar, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and a community service event at a local youth center.”
Sororities and fraternities hold their chapter events throughout the year, but come together for Greek Week and Relay 4 Life, Stephen Ticson, a sophomore political science major, said.
Ticson is part of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity and picked them because of their “Be Men” motto and dynamic.
The process calls for new members to attend events to get to know the fraternity or sorority they are interested in. Then, they can receive bids to become pledges and follow the process to fully become a member, Ticson added.
Lambda Tau Omega Sorority Inc. promotes values of “womyn” independence and academic excellence.
Frangely Rodriguez, a first year graduate student in the occupational therapy program, said what inspired her to become a sister is how the sorority attempts to personify style, grace and presence on campus.
The sorority does not partake in rush, but instead calls the process new member education and intake which highlights that the process to become a sister or brother is different within each chapter.
“[The Lambda Tau Omega] process begins with a potential new member showing interest in our organization during one of our three Vino Blanco Information sessions that happen every semester,” Rodriguez said. “Discovering Lambda Tau Omega is about finding yourself, the ‘womyn’ you are inside and once you discover her we encourage our members to give back to the community with our philanthropic focus.”
Some of the events held by Lambda Tau Omega are the Annual Blue Ribbon Relay and Walk for Wishes. All Greek organizations are usually represented at each semester’s involvement fair. Due to space restrictions, they will hold their own recruitment events during the first weeks of the semester.
“Please keep an open mind to joining Greek life and getting to know more about the different organizations campus,” Etienne said. “Not every single organization will seem appealing to you, but if one seems to connect with you, do not be scared to try it out. You will without a doubt grow as a person and look back on it as a great choice.”
Stephanie Gomulka can be reached at stephanie.gomulka@student.shu. edu.
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